That’s what novelist Charles Condomine finds out in the comedy “Blithe Spirit,” and it will soon be what theatergoers realize as the play prepares to hit the stage at State Street Theater Co.

“Blithe Spirit” will be directed by Wendy Tuttle and first take place on Friday, April 10, at 7 p.m. There will also be a Saturday, April 11, showing at 7 p.m. and a 2 p.m. showing on Sunday, April 12. Tickets are $15 per person in advance online and can be found by the link at statestreetnewulm.org/event/blithe-spirit-by-noel-coward. Tickets at the door cost $20 per person or $5 for kids 12 and under.

“Blithe Spirit,” a classic Noël Coward comedy, centers around Charles, a cantankerous novelist, who seeks material for a new story about an antagonistic psychic. Looking for help and inspiration for his book, Charles invites medium Madame Arcati to host a séance. The medium, however, accidentally summons Elvira, Charles’s first wife, who is invisible to everyone else, including his current wife, Ruth. Chaos and comedy then begin.

Tuttle said the play is funny but has a different vocabulary from what one might see in a typical production.

Staff photo by Travis Rosenau During a rehearsal of “Blithe Spirit,” Crystal Johnson, left, playing Ruth, speaks with Kristina Bergeson, playing Madame Arcati, as Holly Anderson, in the role of Elvira, listens in the background at State Street Theater Co. in New Ulm.

“This was written in the 40s, which means the vocabulary was different,” Tuttle said. “So there’s a lot of what we could now call college words, and it’s also British. So there’s some things, like a small boat is a punt, that sort of thing.”

Tuttle said the play has a small cast, but she’s been impressed with how well her actors have done preparing for the production.

“There’s only seven cast members, and a two-hour play means they’ve got a lot to learn to keep it going,” Tuttle said. “And they’re pretty remarkable in doing that. First of all, the cast is amazing, they’re also clever and they are very talented, so they’re able to make things work and they bring to the stage little subtleties. They make this a really fun show.”

Robert Docherty, who grew up in the Twin Cities and moved to New Ulm roughly 30 years ago, plays the role of Charles. Docherty said in addition to the numerous lines to learn, the character itself is a challenge to play.

“It’s really a challenge to be Charles because he comes across at the beginning of the play as such a likable person,” Docherty said. “I think by the end of the play, people will dislike him quite a bit. It’s just a really interesting to play somebody who is trying to put on a good front and really not succeeding very well.”

Staff photo by Travis Rosenau Marie Guggisberg, Kristina Bergeson, Crystal Johnson and Kent Menzel gather around a table while Holly Anderson hovers in the background during a rehearsal of “Blithe Spirit” at State Street Theater Co. in New Ulm.

Docherty said Tuttle reached out to him about the play, urging him to audition for the role of Charles.

“She was insistent,” Docherty said. “I liked working with Wendy and I knew some of the other people that were going to be auditioning and I expected would be in it and I wanted to work with them again, so it didn’t take much convincing.”

Holly Anderson, a Madelia native, will be acting in her second State Street Theater Co. play and will take on the role of Elvira. Anderson’s last SSTC production she was in was the Cinderella musical, a much larger production than the seven-cast “Blithe Spirit” comedy.

“The language of it, it’s such a challenge, it’s so much fun,” Anderson said. “It’s the whole retro aspect of it that’s really fun. I’m a big fan of all of those old movies and music, all of that. And it was a challenge to me as an actress.”

Anderson said while the role has been a big test for her, she loves it for that reason and all the quirks and personality traits the character Elvira brings with it.

Staff photo by Travis Rosenau From left to right, the case of State Street Theater Co.’s rendition of Noël Coward’s Blithe Spirit. Marie Guggisberg, Kent Menzel, Crystal Johnson (back, red dress), Robert Docherty (sitting in front of Johnson), Holly Anderson (back), Kristina Bergeson (front) and Tyler Brigger.

“I think this particular ghost has to be a lot of different things,” Anderson said. “Not just ethereal, but she’s also very, very smart, very manipulative and clever. She’s very petulant and tempestuous. She’s dead, but she’s very lively.”

Crystal Johnson, who grew up in both Hamburg and Cologne around Norwood Young America, now resides in Klossner and will be playing the role of Ruth.

Johnson was also in the SSTC productions of “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat,” “The Best Christmas Pageant Ever” and the fundraiser showcase “The Stars of State Street.”

Johnson said going into the play, she wasn’t aware it was going to involve just seven actors, but she was eager to get back on stage after missing out on several shows last year. Tuttle also texted Johnson about the auditions for “Blithe Spirit” and Johnson said she enjoyed working with Tuttle in the past, so she was extra motivated.

“This is the most amount of lines I’ve ever had,” Johnson said. “It’s actually kind of terrifying [laughs]. I was highlighting it and was like, ‘That’s a lot of yellow.’ So that’s been definitely a challenge, just trying to memorize everything is very new for me.”

While there are many lines to learn and the cast is small, Johnson said the small cast has also been a good thing.

“Especially with the small cast, I would say a big pro with that is we get to know each other really well,” Johnson said. “We site here and chat and there’s only seven of us, so we get inside jokes with each other and just have a really good time on set. That’s been super fun.

“The character itself is really fun to play because she is … strong-willed, opinionated, domineering is a word Charles uses for her later. She is insulting but she hides it a little bit. I get to make fun of people and it’s really funny. It’s a really funny play. There are still times, even though we’ve read through it a million times, that — I was crying laughing a week ago. It’s just a really good time.”

Madame Arcati is played by Kristina Bergeson, while Kent Menzel mans the role of Dr. George Bradman. Marie Guggisberg plays Mrs. Violet Bradman, while Tyler Brigger plays the butler, Winston.

Behind the scenes next to Tuttle is the ever-busy stage manager, Tracey Dalluge. Michelle Gag is the assistant director, while Vickie Tamborino is the producer and helps with hair and makeup, Allie Dalluge is the paint princess, Bergeson helps with costumes and Joe Vos takes care of the set and special effects.