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Blithe Spirit by Noel Coward opened at the Melrose School in Brewster on April 13th, a production of the Brewster Theater Company. In its cast of seven there are four who clearly dominate this witty, fast moving, very British comic farce -- the man of the house Charles, his wife Ruth, the medium Madame Arcati, and Charles' first wife, a spirit who returns to haunt him to disrupt his marriage to his second wife, Ruth. This three act play, written in 1941 when Great Britain was at war was written to be a comic diversion from  harsh reality. Noel Coward's writing is brilliant and it demands a lively, strongly projected pace. The cast lived up to the task at every moment.

We went especially to see Dianna Waller perform the role of Ruth opposite Bruce Tredwell, an excellent and convincing actor. Dianna is mostly known to us as a skilled vocalist with an extensive background in musical theater, now coming to the attention of theater companies in Westchester and Fairfield Counties. Not every singer can act but Dianna can do both with equal competence.

Returning to the play, Madame Arcati (the medium) played by Judy Bayer delivered some hilarious, over-the=top comedy and Angela Bowman (the spirit) casued endless trouble from the moment she appeared, disappeared and reappeared numerous times.

Congratulations to the show's director Debbie Levin and producer Carolyn Adams. Thank you for recreating this classic entertainment live for local New York and Connecticut audiences.

There is still time to see it. Six more performances are coming up: April 20, 21, 27 and 28 all at 8 pm. Go to BrewsterTheater.org for more details.