Arsenic and Old Lace

WRITTEN BY: Joseph Kesselring
PERFORMED AT: Corning Elks Lodge, Corning
TO HAVE BEEN PERFORMED ON: July 2008
PERFORMED ON: November 2008
DIRECTED BY: Pat Arndt
PRODUCED BY: Antlers Community Theater
CAST:
* MORTIMER BREWSTER- Dale George
* MARTHA BREWSTER- Robin Gaige
* TEDDY BREWSTER- Gary Yoggy
* THE REV. DR. HARPER- Art Hillman
* ELAINE HARPER- Kimberly Canale
* OFFICER KLEIN- Jerry Wozniak
* MR. GIBBS- Barney VanEtten
* ABBY BREWSTER- Mary Cameron
* JONATHAN BREWSTER- Jeff DeMerrit (to have been David A. Scott)
* MR. WITHERSPOON- Mike Mann
* OFFICER BROPHY- Mark Cook
* OFFICER O'HARA- Joe Canale
* DR. EINSTEIN- Jeffrey Smith
* LIEUTENANT ROONEY- Jim McCarey
* MR. HOSKINS/MR. SPENALZO- Kim George

PLOT: A theater-hating drama critic must deal with his crazy, homicidal family and bumbling local police, as he debates whether to go through with his honeymoon. A dark comedy, presented in three acts.

HISTORY: After acting with Dale George in the Corning Elks' 2007 production of "Odd Couple", Jeff Smith brought him into the Market Street Irregulars' "Magical Murder of Oz" the following year. It was during this time that Dale and the Elks invited me into "Arsenic", their much-delayed follow-up to "Odd Couple". Most of the roles had already been cast, but some major ones had yet to be filled (hence the delay). I was brought on board to play Jonathan Brewster, a homicidal villain (and brother of the main character) who was originally played on-stage by Boris Karloff.
However, the director's health (and other reasons) led to a further delay in the performance dates, this time pushing them from July to October. This announcement was made during my first meeting with the cast and crew, in May. Since I'd been contemplating doing ELT's "Evita" in October, I informed everyone there that I may have to drop out of "Arsenic", if I ended up in that show.
With "Arsenic" no longer my summer show, I auditioned for an August production of "Oklahoma" with KLP. Sensing a possible schedule conflict between "Oklahoma" and "Evita" (which held auditions in late June), I initially decided I would not do the ELT show. This would mean that I'd finish "Oklahoma", then do "Arsenic", and then (if I got cast) LCP's "Kiss Me Kate" in November.
However, fate intervened, I ended up trying out for "Evita", landed the role of Che, and officially removed myself from "Arsenic" in late June, giving the Elks (who hadn't officially begun rehearsals yet) plenty of time to find another Jonathan.
As fate would have it, I did end up playing Jonathan the following year, in a KLP production of "Arsenic". The 2009 version was co-directed by Gary Yoggy, who not only recommended the show to director John Rogerson, but also played Teddy in both productions.