Lake County Theatre Company’s (LCTC) upcoming production of “Arsenic and Old Lace” features a crazy, murderous clan. No, not the Addams Family. It’s the Brewster Family. These characters are brought to life on stage by five talented Lake County teens.
Will McAuley plays Mortimer Brewster, the sanest member of the family. McAuley is a freshman at Mendocino College and is no stranger to the LCTC stage. He made his acting debut in 2009 in the production of “The Dastardly Dr. Devereaux”. His first LCTC production was The Wizard of Oz, and he has been involved with over a dozen productions over the years. He is perhaps best remembered for his portrayal of stuttering, emotionally disturbed Billy Bibbit in “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest”.
Joel Thompson takes on the role of Teddy Brewster, Mortimer’s brother. Teddy believes himself to be Theodore Roosevelt and spends much of the play in the basement working on plans for the Panama Canal. Thompson’s first play with LCTC was “A Christmas Carol” at the Museum in 2011, in which he wowed the audience with his spot-on British accent. He has been in several productions since then. Thompson is home-schooled and is also active with the Explorer’s program.
Hayley Martin plays the third brother, the estranged Jonathan Brewster. Jonathan shows up at the Brewster home after many years away, looking completely different than the family remembered him, thanks to extensive plastic surgery performed by the alcoholic Dr. Einstein. Martin is a sophomore at Clear Lake High School. She first performed with LCTC in 2013 in “Peter Panto” and also played the lovely queen in 2014’s “Beauty is a Beast”.
Grace Ott is playing Martha Brewster, aunt to the three Brewster brothers. Martha seems sweet enough, but she and her sister have a nasty habit of poisoning and killing people. Ott has been acting for ten years. Her first play was “Aladdin” in the 2nd grade. She is a CLHS senior. You may remember her as an overprotective mother in last year’s “Hairspray.” Ott first joined LCTC in 2012’s “Trojan War.”
Bianca Torres plays Abby Brewster, Martha’s sister and accomplice, and is every bit as deranged as she is. Torres first took the stage in her church’s Christmas play three years ago. She joined LCTC earlier this year in the twisted comedy “Best Daddy,” a definite crowd-pleaser in the Evening of One Acts. Torres is a junior at Kelseyville High School.
These five talented teens are joined by many others to create a stellar cast of performers that you surely won’t want to miss. Arsenic and Old Lace runs for two weekends only. It opens Oct. 24 with two performances, at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. It continues with a 2 p.m. performance the 25th. On Halloween there will be two showings, again at 2 and 7, and the show closes Nov. 1 with a 2 p.m. performance.
If you plan to attend the evening show on Halloween, there will be a costume contest at intermission and prizes will be awarded. Be sure to get there early, though; due to the Halloween Carnival happening at the CLHS gym parking will be sparse.
Tickets are available online at www.lakecountytheatrecompany.org or at Pieces Boutique in Lakeport. For information call Laura at 533-3406.
