{"id":54130,"date":"2023-09-27T08:42:39","date_gmt":"2023-09-27T12:42:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogarchive.utc.edu\/news\/?p=54130"},"modified":"2023-10-05T08:46:29","modified_gmt":"2023-10-05T12:46:29","slug":"utc-theatre-co-presents-blithe-spirit-october-3-7","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogarchive.utc.edu\/news\/2023\/09\/utc-theatre-co-presents-blithe-spirit-october-3-7\/","title":{"rendered":"UTC Theatre Co. to open its season with \u201cBlithe Spirit\u201d"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Junior

Junior Gage Goza (as Charles Condomine) and sophomore Ellen Rich (as Ruth Condomine) in the UTC Theatre Co.\u2019s \u201cBlithe Spirit,\u201d which will be presented Oct. 3-7 at the UTC Fine Arts Center\u2019s Dorothy Hackett Ward Theatre.<\/p><\/div>\n

The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga Theatre Co. opens its 2023-2024 season Oct. 3-7, presenting No\u00ebl Coward\u2019s \u201cBlithe Spirit\u201d in the UTC Fine Arts Center\u2019s Dorothy Hackett Ward Theatre.<\/p>\n

Performances will take place at 7:30 p.m. on Oct. 3-7, with a 2 p.m. matinee performance on Oct. 7. Tickets can be purchased online by clicking here<\/strong><\/a> and through the UTC Box Office in person or by phone (423-425-4369). Tickets are $20 for general admission and $15 for students (with proof of student ID) and seniors.<\/p>\n

The cast, comprised of UTC theatre majors, \u201cperforms this witty comedy that explores what happens when a cynical novelist invites a wacky psychic to his house for a s\u00e9ance,\u201d said Steve Ray, the play\u2019s director. Things go awry when the psychic surprises everyone by conjuring the ghost of the novelist\u2019s late first wife.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s both smart and hilarious,\u201d Ray said. \u201cWe are having fun exploring what happens when a group of intellectuals are confronted with the unpredictable world of the supernatural.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe student actors are getting a great chance to practice their comic skills with some of the funniest material written for the stage in the past 100 years.\u201d<\/p>\n

Because the play is set in England in the 1940s, Ray said that \u201canyone that likes British comedy will love this show.\u201d<\/p>\n

UTC junior Gage Goza plays novelist Charles Condomine.<\/p>\n

\u201cI hope the audience will take away more than a few laughs. I hope that they see the honesty in the comedy,\u201d said Goza, a native of Ringgold, Georgia. \u201cThis show has taught me so much about how to not only connect emotionally with comedy but also how to follow my impulses onstage and have the courage to make the wrong choice.\u201d<\/p>\n

Sophomore Ellen Rich, who hails from Athens, Tennessee, plays Ruth Condomine\u2014the novelist\u2019s second wife. She said her favorite part of \u201cBlithe Spirit\u201d is \u201chow much we get to play.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWorking with such a fantastic cast on comedic bits and discovering different nuances within our characters means there\u2019s something new to discover with this script every night,\u201d Rich said.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s a wild ride and I can\u2019t wait for the audience to experience it with us.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBlithe Spirit\u201d is the first of four UTC Theatre Co. shows during the 2023-2024 season. Upcoming productions include:<\/p>\n