Blithe Spirit Review

When I'm giving a tour, one of my favorite parts is taking the student into the Dows Fine Arts building. You first walk in and are immediately surrounded by amazing art (all done by Coe students/staff/alums mind you). But instead of milling in the lobby, I make a beeline for our theater.

Our theater is built in a round but what is even cooler is the way we make sets. My favorite tours occur when a set is just beginning to be built or when the set is completed and finished. Our set team at Coe turns out some amazing sets, which makes the play that much more enjoyable.

On Thursday, Hayleigh, Alison P., and I went to see Blithe Spirit, a comedy by Noel Coward. I knew most of the people in the cast and the stage manager was none other than my roommate, Emily.

It was a pretty good performance. Although it did make me miss seeing theater in New York City (hard to believe it's coming up on a year since I first arrived in Manhattan for New York Term!). The show was funny (it's all about a senance bringing back an ex-wife and the shenanigans that occur because of that).

Another neat part of this show (besides the set) was that we had a guest director for this production. Peter Craze, recently retired from working at the Drama Studio of London, knew some of our theater professors and accepted our invitation to direct this show. He had even met Noel Coward once (got to love those program notes). I've heard great things about Peter from Emily and other cast members; it's so neat we were able to bring in someone for a new perspective on this show.

Blithe Spirit ended last night, but no fear, Coe always has more productions coming up. Next on the docket is City of Angels, a musical for your enjoyment in the spring!

Marquis Series Preview Part IV

Sorry, just a Marquis Preview today, I can't think of any more tips right now.  Probably because I'm in the midsts of packing because I'll be back at Coe in ONE WEEK.  Can't wait!

* All information in italics is taken from Coe's website and the Coe's News Page.

Group Four: The Acting Company: “The Comedy of Errors” - Sunday, Feb. 12, 2012 at 3 p.m. in Sinclair Auditorium 

"For nearly 40 years, The Acting Company has been one of the most respected and praised touring repertory theaters in America.  At Coe, The Acting Company will present William Shakespeare’s “The Comedy of Errors,” directed by Ian Belknap.  One of Shakespeare’s earliest plays, “The Comedy of Errors” is also his shortest and one of his most farcical — a major part of the humor derived from slapstick, puns and wordplay. The story of two sets of identical twins accidentally separated at birth involves a series of wild mishaps based on mistaken identities leading to wrongful attacks, a near-seduction, an arrest and accusations of infidelity, theft, madness and demonic possession.  The Acting Company promotes theater and literacy by bringing a touring repertory of classical productions, talented young actors and teaching artists into communities across the country. The group has been honored with the Obie Award, the Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle Award, and a Tony Honor for Excellence in theatre." 

Video from YouTube