The Valley Players Theater opens its production of “Blithe Spirit” this Friday, October 10. Originally written by Noel Coward, the show centers around author Charles Condomine, who is trying to research his next book, which features a medium. He invites some friends, along with a local medium, to a dinner party. The medium invokes the spirit of his first wife, who is only visible to Condomine.
“Charm, chaos, and cheeky spirits abound in this sharp-witted classic,” says the website’s synopsis. The show is entirely in black and white – even down to the set and the actors’ makeup.
The theater recruited the help of professional special effects makeup artist Katie Kenworthy to help with makeup. “The process of applying all of the makeup has been challenging," said actor Sarah McDougal, who plays Mrs. Bradman, “especially because this is such a close space. We don’t usually wear makeup, since we’re so close to the audience, but I honestly forget that I’m wearing it once I’m on stage until I look at someone else.”
Makeup application is currently a lengthy process, taking about 90-minutes to complete, but director Shannon Sanborn is confident that they’ll cut down on time as they get more comfortable performing: “It’s a work in progress. There’s so many different bases and setting sprays… We’re still figuring some things out.”
The set is also completely colorless. Sanborn spent the summer hunting down old furniture to turn black and white. Some pieces were also reused from previous shows, like the curtains in the back of the stage. “I needed a piece of furniture that I could completely destroy,” said Sanborn. “It’s going black and white and never going back. There’s a lot of reuse in theater, and in black and white you can get away with that.”
Yellow gels were also placed over the stage lights to correct the lighting of the set. “The hard part is making sure there’s no color at all,” said Sanborn. “Down to the things that you eat and drink, the jewelry you wear, even down to your smile – if someone smiles, you can see their pink tongue.”
“Blithe Spirit” is the first show to be redone in the Valley Players’ history. It was first performed in Waitsfield in February 1981. Sanborn, who has been working with the theater since 2003, approached the board with the idea, thinking that it would be exciting to perform a show in black and white. As it had been over 40 years since the last performance, the show was allowed to be held again.
It opens on Friday, October 10, and runs until October 26. Showtimes are Friday and Saturday at 7 p.m. and Sunday at 2 p.m. Tickets, which are $14 for seniors and students and $18 for adults, can be bought online through the Valley Players website or in-person at the theater.
You might also like
