Shirley Knight must have enjoyed her May stint with L.A. Theatre Works' The Play's the Thing live radio theatre series, because two months later she's back for more. July 15-18, she will be playing Madame Arcati in Noel Coward's Blithe Spirit. The drama will be performed at the Doubletree Guest Suites in Santa Monica, CA. All performances will be recorded for future broadcast on KCRW 89.9 FM. In May, Knight acted with Charles Durning and Steven Weber in a radio performance of Horton Foote's Pulitzer Prize-winning The Young Man From Atlanta, in which she recreated her Broadway portrayal as Lily Dale. The Coward piece will be directed by Michael Hackett and feature Rosalind Ayres, Judy Geeson, Lynn Marta, Ian Ogilvy and Christopher Neame.

The performances, which are open to the public, all begin at 8 PM. Half price tickets are available to students with identification, and a "public rush" begins five minutes to curtain, when tickets will be discounted by $10, subject to availability. The Doubletree is located at 1707 4th St., between 10 Freeway and Pico Blvd. For information, call (310) 827 0889.

-- By Robert Simonson