ORANGEVILLE — These days, the Orangeville community theater is not unlike the story, “The Little Engine That Could.” COVID-19 put a stop to almost everything in the theater world, and that included The Mighty Richland Players Dessert Theater’s production of “Blithe Spirit.” The 2020 production was going into its final week of rehearsal, when the coronavirus shut everything down. Online Zoom rehearsals continued into July, but when it became apparent that nothing was going to be opening up anytime soon, the production came to a complete standstill. 

“The theater went dark,” said the show’s director and MRPDT’s board member, Kim McIver. “The set was removed for a very small wedding reception that took place in the building later that fall. It was sad to see it go when we had worked so hard on everything.” 

A year later, the original cast and crew of Blithe Spirit agreed to come back together and finally do the show they had worked so hard on. The three-act play was written by Noel Coward in 1941. The play itself was adapted into a movie starring Rex Harrison, and also into a musical version, “Higher Spirits.”   

The show enters into the life of skeptical novelist Charles Condomine, who invites self-proclaimed medium Madame Arcati to his home for a séance, hoping to gather material for a new book. When the hapless psychic accidentally summons the spirit of Condomine’s late wife, Elvira, his home and life are quickly turned into a shambles as she torments both himself and his new bride, Ruth. 

The MRPDT cast consists of actors and crew from all over the area: Emily and Cole Duvall from Monroe, Wisconsin play Ruth and Charles Condamine. Their daughter Layla is the voice of Daphne, and their son, Dorian is the Assistant Stage Manager. Mary Jo Frederick from Mt. Carroll plays Madame Arcanti, and her daughter Melanie Frederick is Edith the maid. Sandy Sweitzer from Pearl City is Mrs. Bradman, and her husband, Dr. Bradman, is played by Ron Pallek from McHenry, Illinois. 

Show dates are Friday and Saturday, September 10 and 11 at 7 p.m. and Sunday, September 12 at 2 p.m. A second weekend has been added. September 17 and 18th at 7 p.m. and September 19 at 2 p.m. To set the ambience, each performance will offer a wonderful British dessert while listening to 1940’s music, and theater-goers will be served hot apple cider. There will be a regular intermission between Act 1 and 2, and a short one later. 

For more information on the show or theater, please check out the theater’s website mightyrichlandplayers.org or call 815-819-1310 for tickets. 

“We are celebrating the 20th anniversary of the theater this year,” said McIver, “and we can’t wait to see our audiences back.”