Raising The Dead

ACO gets in the spirit with classic British comedy

Thursday, April 3, 2014

This isn't actor David Godwin's first rodeo. The veteran actor has been a staple on the Arts Center of the Ozarks stage for almost 20 years.

"I started at ACO a while ago," Godwin admits with a laugh. "I have been in every summer musical since 1995. Not usually a big role, but I am always involved. What was really a different experience with the one Shakespeare play I was in."

FAQ

‘Blithe Spirit’

WHEN — 7:30 p.m. today & Saturday; 3 p.m. Sunday; again April 11-12

WHERE — Arts Center of the Ozarks, 214 S. Main St. in Springdale

COST — $9-$20

INFO — 751-5441 or artscenteroftheozar…

FYI

‘Blithe Spirit’:

The Cast

Charles Condomine — John Jefferson

Ruth Condomine — Staci Hammontree

Madame Arcati — Judy Scott

The late Elvira Condomine — Abbey Edge

Dr. George Bradman — David Godwin

Violet Bradman — Becca Martin-Brown

Edith the Maid — Alissa Walter

But that classic may have given Godwin, a bio-medical equipment technician with Northwest Medical Center, an edge while preparing for Noel Coward's "Blithe Spirit."

"The Shakespeare play had a similar tone to it," he says. "It's very similar to speaking with the British accent in this show. The phrases and some of the word choices are very different from American speech. Hopefully folks in the audience will feel like they are watching actual British people."

"There are definitely challenges with a play like this," adds Harry Blundell, director of theater at the Springdale arts center. "This is stereotypical British. The homogeneous Anglican speech transports this play from our everyday speech. It's a process for the actors. We may not be Brits, but we're going to do our best to get there."

Godwin's character, Dr. George Bradman, may not be a headlining role, but he is witness to the humor, and horror, of the show's male lead, Charles Condomine.

"He's a friend of the main characters who comes for a visit the same night as the medium Madame Arcati," Godwin says. "He gets to witness the mental breakdown of the lead, but it's really being brought about by his dead wife's spirit."

"The storyline is really a hoot," says Blundell. "A medium brings about the materialization of the host's dead wife that only he can see. Of course, everyone thinks he has lost his mind and gone crazy." That is, until the plot thickens. "Complications and hilarity ensue," he adds.

"She's a fun character to play, very catty and wanting things her way," says Abbey Edge, who will be portraying Elvira, Charles' dead wife. "She is so young and self-absorbed. She wants what she wants when she wants it. She really gives Charles a lot of problems."

The comedy will offer more than just twists and turns. The stage will transform from Miss Nelson's classroom -- the children's show last on stage -- to a fully realized 1940s living room.

"We're caught up in a moment outside of reality," says Edge. "The audience will get lost in the story and when the story takes place. The costumes and the furnishings really make that happen."

"We're looking at a slice of time," says Blundell. "It really looks like an English country home. And the actors, though their characters are not exactly fashion icons, will be wearing a great collection of vintage costumes. We spend a lot of time on design so we can re-create a moment in time.

"I always try to give a little variety to the season," he says. "'Deathtrap' was a comedy thriller, but really, it was only a comedy because today's audience is more used to seeing some of the more thrilling parts. But 'Blithe Spirit' is a classic comedy that is accessible to all ages. It it fits the bill real well."

"I think people will leave still laughing," says Edge. "It's a fun show, very comedic with a lot of nostalgia. It's tense and has lost romance -- it's a little bit a roller coaster of emotions. The audience will be absorbed."

"It really is a funny show," agrees Godwin. "I knew it was a comedy, but I didn't get how funny it was until auditions when we started reading through the parts. It's a great show, and the audience I think is going to love it.

"I hope they leave sore from laughing."

NAN What's Up on 04/04/2014