What happens when two hospitable old ladies and a twisted serial killer learn that they have something in common? What will they do about the policemen lodging in their home? Will they kill again? CSArts’ Acting Conservatory answered these questions on October 24th, when the theater doors to “Arsenic & Old Lace” opened.
“Old Lace” was originally written in 1941, and enamored audiences of the time with its dark humor, wry wit, and near-farcical irony. The play follows the Brooklyn-living Brewster household, consisting of two homicidal old ladies, a homicidal brother, a brother that thinks he is Teddy Roosevelt, and the most normal of them all, a dramatic critic. Their home acts as a lodging place for the old, the lonely, and the ill. However, as Mortimer, the youngest Brewster, learns the hard way, his old aunts, Abby and Martha, have been poisoning these lodgers to put them out of their misery.
Even with such a dark plot, the humor of “Old Lace” bordered on slapstick at times, and had cast members running and jumping around the set. According to Karina Alvarez (ACT ‘25), who played Abby Brewster, the script constantly had her “trotting around on [her] tippy toes, sticking [her] butt out, and fiddling with [her] hands.”
Such a comedy requires a talented and experienced cast. The director, Christina Harris, found exactly what she wanted from this show in a cast of mainly Acting seniors. Many theatergoers may remember these leads from shows like “A Midsummer Night’s Dream,” “The 39 Steps,” or “John Proctor is the Villain.”
“I always try my best to bring all the energy and joy I have in myself into characters like [Teddy], so translating that into Teddy was really just an amazing process and a whole lot of fun,” said Matthew Guthrie (ACT ‘25), who played the pseudo-presidential Teddy Brewster.
As with any show, both cast and crew gave their all, putting on a show worthy of an audience, but experienced student designers and a student manager had some extra weight to carry.
“It was my first time ever being in a stage managing role, and it was very fun to just be a part of that community, because I made so many new friends,” said Alique Zadoian (P&D ‘25), the show’s student Stage Manager.
“The most fun was found backstage, bonding with all the cast and crew and singing stupid songs in the dressing room were the greatest parts,” said Matthew.
Classics like “Arsenic & Old Lace” hold up to this day in a theater scene where colleges and high schools are drawn to edgy new shows. Some theaters may insist upon performing hot new shows, but many will agree that sticking to the classics is a fantastic way to honor the history of theater.
Staff Spotlight: Bridgette Blankenhorn