Community Event - North Bay - Arsenic and Old Lace - Oct 31st at 7pm
SPEND HALLOWEEN WITH THE GATEWAY THEATRE GUILD AND THE BREWSTERS
Arsenic and Old Lace by Joseph Kesselring - Directed by Rod Carley
When Joseph Kesselring’s modern farce classic, Arsenic and Old Lace, opened on Broadway in August, 1941, it was in the midst of a string of socially-aware dramas. Audiences were delightfully surprised with this twisted little property and Arsenic became a much needed escape for the nation – so much so that it ran for over three years before being made into a highly successful Frank Capra film starring Carry Grant, released in 1944. It is a laugh out loud tonic we need again in this crazy world.
The plot revolves around the comings and goings at the old Brewster home in Brooklyn, New York, where a pair of dear, dotty old gals mix up a very special elderberry wine. Very special.
Their nephew Mortimer, a genial, easy-going theatre critic, has just announced his engagement when he discovers that his two aunties have been spiking their wine with poison and sending lonely gentlemen callers off to the great beyond. More specifically, they’ve been burying them in the cellar with the help of their nutty nephew, Teddy, who thinks he’s Teddy Roosevelt and thus digs the Panama Canal down in the basement. To their credit, the aunts believe that what they are doing is an act of charity and hold touching funeral services for all their victims!The plot thickens with the sinister arrival of a third prodigal nephew, Jonathan, an escaped murderer with a surprising resemblance to Boris Karloff, and his quackerly companion, Dr. Einstein, who both look and behave like refugees from a Hollywood horror movie. Manic mayhem ensues as Jonathan competes with his aunts to break their body count tie of twelve apiece and to seek revenge on his brother Mortimer. Add a liberal dose of keystone cops Brooklyn law and order and the stage is set for farce and fireworks in the spirit of Bugs Bunny and his Looney Tune pals.