Courtesy Photo by Bronwyn Woolman The cast of Alpena Civic Theatre’s “Blithe Spirit” is pictured, back row, from left: Traci Boyle, Carol Rundell, Andrew MacNeill, and Isabel Luther. Seated in front are Kristin Loughery, Mitchell Stevenson, and Kirstine Furtaw.

ALPENA ­– Halloween may be over, but the spooky thrills continue this week as Alpena Civic Theatre runs “Blithe Spirit” Thursday through Sunday, promising surprises and laughs throughout.

Four of the seven cast members are new to the Civic stage, but you wouldn’t know it from their stellar performances. The show flows from start to finish with nary a dull moment, and it sure isn’t short on words. These actors put in many, many hours of memorization and rehearsals to bring this play to production level, and it shows.

The British comedy by Noel Coward centers around writer Charles Condomine, who invites a quirky medium to his and his wife’s home to conjure up a spirit or two, in search of material for his next book. What he gets, instead, is a whole lot of chaos created by the appearance of his late first wife, Elvira, who pays him a postmortem visit. The problem is, only Charles can see Elvira, which leads to trouble with his current wife, Ruth, who thinks he’s gone absolutely batty. Friends Dr. and Mrs. Bradman get mixed up in the shenanigans, and the eccentric medium, Madam Arcati, attempts to alleviate the situation, but her strange methods seem more outlandish than effective. Meanwhile, house servant Edith provides a heaping serving of physical comedy each time she enters the room, as she is not privy to grace.

As the hilarious three-act play advances, it becomes increasingly unclear where things are headed, but to find out, you’ll have to secure a seat at an upcoming show. You won’t want to miss the ending.

It’s hard to say there’s any one star in this performance. They all shine. As for the newcomers, Mitchell Stevenson plays a convincing Charles Condomine, a man of many words. He’s clearly a writer, and an intelligent one, at that. He matches intensity with experienced actor Kirstine Furtaw, who plays Ruth. The pair spar on an intellectual level so wittily it’s almost hard to keep up, but it’s highly entertaining. Their interactions are so believable you forget they’re acting. Furtaw harnesses a level of emotion that you can feel in your bones.

Edith, played by first-timer Traci Boyle, is instantly lovable, as she just tries so hard to please the Condomines, but she’s kind of a spazz living in a refined environment. Boyle plays the role perfectly, with amplified gestures that garner laughter at all the right moments.

Newcomer Isabel Luther, on the other hand, is about as refined as they come, playing Dr. Bradman’s wife, Violet. Her poised demeanor and beauty exude from her, as she coaxes her husband to give the group seance a chance. Her childlike curiosity adds a sweetness to the stage.

The fourth first-timer floats across the stage like the ghost she is. Kristin Loughery kills it as Elvira, the wife Charles lost seven years prior, who has now come back to haunt him. She is creepy, and that’s a compliment. Her performance is terrifyingly good.

Andrew MacNeill as Dr. Bradman provides a grounding element with a level of skepticism during the seance, and he also chums around with Charles, tossing back a few too many drinks and sucking down a cigar or two with his pal. The seasoned ACT actor delivers a solid performance, and you feel like you’re right there with these guys having a good old time.

Now for the beloved Madam Arcati. ACT veteran Carol Rundell is a hoot as this beyond eccentric, dare I say weirdo, lady who rides her bicycle everywhere, has the oddest accent, wears strange feathered hats, carries around an upholstered stool (on her bike!), and, of course, conjures the dead by talking to a small child from beyond the grave who passed in the 17th century. Rundell can do anything! She is absolutely hysterical in this role. If you aren’t laughing out loud while Rundell is on stage, you might want to check your pulse. She squawks, she sings, she claps, she shouts. You never know what she’s going to do.

Director Lucas Moquin and Assistant Director Bill Powell deserve a huge pat on the back for this triumph, as do all the cast and crew.

This production would not be complete without the set or the costumes, which are totally essential and incredible. Every detail was handled with thought and care. This is truly a production to treasure, and, if you haven’t seen it, yet, call the box office at 989-354-3624 to see if tickets are still available. Evening performances are at 7:30 p.m. Thursday and Friday, and there will be two performances on Saturday: one at 3 p.m. and the final show at 7:30 p.m.

Joining Moquin and Powell behind the scenes are Producer Rundell, Stage Manager Dani Ayotte, Assistant Stage Manager Doreen Kriniak, Stage Hand Zach Clement, Lighting Designer Jay Kettler, Sound Designer MacNeill, Light and Sound Tech Powell, Paint Charge Danyeal Dorr, Costume Designer Mary Ann Crawford, Assistant Costumers Virginia Hulsey and Nan Hall. Moquin, Powell, and Tom Christianson designed and constructed the set, Taylor Ayotte painted the exterior sign, Bronwyn Woolman is the photographer, and she and Grace Morrison compiled the picture board. Box office volunteers include Fran Hamp, Jackie Herbert, Elaine Smith, Linda Suneson, Sue Jackowiak, Lois Darga, Gerry Cawthra, and Kate Sautter.

ACT is located at 401 River St., Alpena.

Editor’s note: This story has been updated to reflect corrected showtimes. There are two shows on Saturday and no show on Sunday.