‘Blithe Spirit’ set for Capital Rep
ALBANY, N.Y. » Capital Rep in Albany is about to open “Blithe Spirit,” a comedy about a love triangle. Two women are in love with one man. Naturally the women resent each other and would like to eliminate – even kill the other. However, there is a problem – one of the women has been dead for seven years.
“Blithe Spirit,” considered one of Noel Coward’s funniest shows, is about a man whose dead wife comes back to haunt his second marriage. It begins previews on Friday for an April 10 opening.
Brenny Rabine and Yvonne Perry play the female leads in the Capital Rep production of Noel Coward’s comedy, “Blithe Spirit.” Rabine plays the prim Ruth, his very much alive wife and Perry plays Elvira, his extremely tempestuous ghostly wife.
Both are members of that small group of dedicated professional actors who practice their craft in theaters throughout the country, yet live locally. Rabine lives in Saratoga Springs and Perry resides in Albany.
It might seem that the two women are perfect for the role of jealous rivals. They do, after all, compete for the same roles, which might make them professional rivals in real life.
It’s the total opposite. They are best friends.
In separate telephone interviews the two had nothing but praise for each other. “Supportive best friends” is how Rabine described their relationship. It was echoed by Perry who said, “Brenny inspires me.”
Rabine explained their bond saying that years ago the pair made a conscious decision to be supportive of each other. “It’s difficult for any actor to sustain a career. When you choose to live outside a major market, it is even tougher. Yvonne shares my passion for theater and constantly works to improve her many gifts. We realize success for one, means success for all.”
Perry is equally effusive about Rabine. “I’m her biggest cheerleader. No one works harder or shows up better prepared. It’s a joy to watch her work. The only thing better is to work with her. On stage, Brenny is the best listener I have ever worked with.” Perry estimates they have appeared in at least seven productions together.
Perhaps most importantly, they offer one another unconditional support. Rabine says, “We lift each other up.” Perry agrees, and says that during “Blithe Spirit” rehearsals, few things encourage her more than “looking into the audience and see Brenny’s face all lit because something I am doing on stage is working.”
Their mutual admiration society extends to the play and their characters. In “Blithe Spirit” Noel Coward brings back Elvira, who is angry that her husband Charles has not only married again, but he married a woman who is her total opposite. Where Elvira is a flamboyant extrovert, Ruth is a practical, efficient woman ruled by common sense. One of the things that makes the play so funny is that Charles is the only person who can see Elvira and Ruth thinks that her practical jokes are a way of Charles tormenting her.
Perry’s view of Elvira is that she is not angry at Charles and her tricks are not mean-spirited. (no pun intended). “The reason I haunt Charles is because I love him so much. I want to be with him.” Perry says she is frustrated because she realizes Ruth is a better match for him. I’m not happy that he remarried. Does anyone like the thought of someone you love loving someone else?”
Rabine has much the same take. “Elvira must have been a thrilling partner,” she says. “She’s beautiful and has an exciting personality. Ruth is more grounded. She loves Charles for his creativity and talent. Ruth shows her love by helping Charles organize his life. Some people might call her controlling, I think of it as setting boundaries so he can succeed.”
Elvira’s pranks become comical when Charles appears to be talking to himself and acting in a bizarre way and she is determined to help him. Rabine says, “When I see him behaving like a lunatic it becomes a case of fight or flight. I decide to fight.” She adds that a lot of fun comes from people being nasty and yet trying to appear civil.”
While Perry and Rabine have a special kinship their loyalty and affection extend to the seven person cast - which includes other local professional actors – Eileen Schuyler, who plays the eccentric medium, Madame Arcati, and John Romeo, a former NYSTI mainstay, plays the neighbor, Dr. Bradman.
The actors insist there is a mutual determination within the cast to make this a truly special production. Says Rabine, “Not only is our cast ideal, the intimate Capital Rep stage is perfect for this play and the technical aspects are just phenomenal. Perry adds, “’Blithe Spirit’ is an amazingly funny play. But it’s a very difficult play to get right. We have the cast, and thanks to Maggie’s (Mancinelli-Cahill) direction, we will make this “Blithe Spirit” a really special event.”
“Blithe Spirit” at Capital Repertory Theatre in Albany. Previews Friday to Sunday. Performances April 10–May 6. For tickets and schedule information call 518-445-7469 or go to capitalrep.org.