Arsenic and Old Lace will be performed during Halloween week at the Clear Lake High School M.A.C auditorium by a troupe of teen performers from around Lake County.
Originally meant to be a darker piece, this play was turned into a comedy/murder-mystery by the author, Joseph Kesselring, at the urging of his producers. An excellent suggestion as it would prove to be his most popular play having been performed on Broadway nearly 1,500 times. The play was almost immediately turned into a film starring Cary Grant as the protagonist, Mortimer Brewster.
Mortimer, a theater critic for a newspaper, is mortified to learn that his family is composed of not just eccentric, but completely lunatic individuals. In fact lunacy doesn’tjust run in his family, it stampedes right down that road paved with (mostly) good intentions. His sweet aunts, Abby and Martha, decided that the best way to relieve the burdens of life from their gentlemen callers was to relieve them of life. By using Mortimer’s brother’s delusion of being none other than Teddy Roosevelt they also had an easy way of disposing of the bodies, that is until poor Mortimer finds out.
The play progresses with Mortimer having to deal not only with his aunts ‘gently’ murderous nature and his brother’s lack of grasp on reality, but also with his more vicious other brother Jonathan who wants to set up ‘shop’ in the family home. Luckily with the help of some not too efficient police officers Mortimer is able to get the situation under control.
Arsenic and Old Lace will be presented on Oct. 24 at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m., Oct. 25 at 2 p.m., Oct. 31 at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. and Nov. 1 at 2 p.m. Tickets are $12 general, $15 reserved, $2 off if purchased in advance. Tickets will be available about 3 weeks in advance at Piece’s Boutique downtown Lakeport and online at www.lakecountytheatrecompany.org.
