RLCC High School presents “Arsenic and Old Lace”

RLCC High School will be presenting the three act mystery comedy “Arsenic and Old Lace” by Joseph Kesselring and by special arrangement with Dramatist’s Play Service.   The production is scheduled for April 18th, 19th, and 20th –Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday evenings at 7:30 p.m.

The cast includes Sydney Melby as Abby Brewster, Britain Arlt as Reverend Dr. Harper, Natalie Aakhus as Teddy Brewster, Tera Qualley as Officer Brophy, Jayden Iverson as Officer Klein, Hannah Kolstoe as Martha Brewster, Kara Longtin as Elaine Harper, Tom Nelson as Mortimer Brewster, Abby Walton as Mr, Gibbs, Nick Pahlen as Jonathan Brewster, Jade Person as Dr. Einstein, Dede Walton as Officer O’Hara, Heather Longtin as Lieutenant  Rooney, Remy Ransack as Mr. Witherspoon. 

The play takes place in Brooklyn, New York, during the beginning of WWII and Dr. Harper is discussing the fact that he is disturbed by his daughter’s involvement with the Drama Critic Mortimer Brewster. Meanwhile  Mortimer (Tom Nelson) finally asked Elaine to marry him. He is discussing his engagement and Elaine figures she has to break the news to her father.

He is elated by his upcoming marriage while his aunts Abby Brewster (Sydney Melby) and Martha Brewster (Hannah Kolstoe) begin cooking, Mortimer discovers his aunts secret.   He looks into the window seat to discover a dead man. He figured his brother Teddy Brewster (Natalie Aakus) was the killer. Teddy thinks that he is Teddy Roosevelt. Mortimer is desperate to have Teddy sent to Happy Dale Sanitarium. 

Mortimer is shock when he discovers his aunts latest charity. They have been taking lonely old men in and if they have no family, they offer a glass of elderberry wine that is mixed with arsenic, cyanide and strychnine. Teddy thinks they have another yellow fever victim and had to be buried immediately, so he digs a lock in the cellar.  

Mortimer is stunned until he discovers that his sweet darling aunts have buried twelve men in the basement. How can he be married now? What should he do about Elaine. He needs to find a way to protect his aunts when his homicidal brother Jonathan Brewster, (Nick Pahlen) comes home with his plastic surgeon Dr. Einstein (Jade Person).  The fun has just begun when movable bodies, confuse the issue in this classic comedy.… Especially when Dr. Einstein discovers that Jonathan and his sweet aunts are tied 12-12.  Jonathan figures he needs one more….that is when Mortimer comes in saying “I’m back.”  

The police, Officer Brophy (Tera Qualley), Officer Klein (Jayden Iverson), Officer O’Hara (Dede Walton) get involved when   Officer O’Hara discovers Mortimer is a theater critic and tries to explain the plot as Jonathan was going to torture Mortimer. It really is questionable if Jonathan’s planned execution or O’Hara’s plot for his play was worse. 

Cary Grant starred in the original comedy....So come see a hilarious comedy that ran for 15 years on Broadway.