Wednesday, November 13, 2024

Poison Tongues

Old maids poisoning lonely old men with homemade wine, a brother convinced he’s Teddy Roosevelt and alcohol-fueled plastic surgery: these are just a few of the overarching quirks in the darkly-comedic play “Arsenic and Old Lace,” presented by the Toledo Repertoire Theater this month.

“Arsenic and Old Lace” was written in 1939 by American playwright Joseph Kesselring and opened on January 10, 1941. The play closed in 1944 after a staggering total of 1,444 performances. The New York Times wrote a review of the play on its opening night saying that the performance was, “so funny that none of us will ever forget it.” Now thanks to the Toledo Repertoire Theater, Toledoans will be able to experience this hilariously-bizarre American classic.

The plot of a family affair
The plot of “Arsenic and Old Lace” revolves around the drama critic Mortimer Brewster, his fiance Elaine Harper and his—to put it lightly—eccentric family. Brewster, who is having difficulty deciding whether or not to marry his sweetheart, is forced to negotiate this trying decision while dealing with an increasing number of bizarre crises caused by his humorously unhinged family. The play proceeds to weave a story of macabre and ridiculous hilarity that would make even the strangest household seem normal.

The play is directed by Rosie Best,  a native of the United Kingdom who has lived in the Toledo area for the last 20 years. She remains active in the local arts scene as an actor, dialect coach and director. She most recently served as director for Toledo Rep’s production of “Fiddler on the Roof.”

“Arsenic and Old Lace” made its way into the Rep’s season democratically. “The former artistic director conducted a survey where he interviewed audience members about what plays they would like us to perform,” Best said. “This was the number one request he received.” She intends to give the people what they want.

An American original
In the upcoming performance, Best plans to stick to the classic version of the play as it was first drafted. “Our rendition will be a very traditional one,” Best said. “The play is very much an American original. I initially had never heard of the play, being from England, but after reading the script I think that it sits well and makes for a very strong comedy.”
The mixture of unpredictability and humor makes Arsenic and Old Lace a play Best feels cannot be missed.
“It’s the unexpected quality of it that I like,” Best said. “We live in a very tragic time and we need something to lift us up. It’s the play’s ability to accomplish this that makes it truly delightful. I think that the arts are the noblest subject,” Best continued. “They give us opportunities to laugh at ourselves and raise us up from the everyday ‘blah.’”

“Arsenic and Old Lace.” November 8-10,
14-17, 8pm Friday-Saturday, 2:30pm Sunday.
$20 adults, $18 seniors, $10 students, $5 children 12 and under. 10th Street Stage,
Toledo Repertoire Theatre. 16 10th St.
419-243-9277. toledorep.org

Old maids poisoning lonely old men with homemade wine, a brother convinced he’s Teddy Roosevelt and alcohol-fueled plastic surgery: these are just a few of the overarching quirks in the darkly-comedic play “Arsenic and Old Lace,” presented by the Toledo Repertoire Theater this month.

“Arsenic and Old Lace” was written in 1939 by American playwright Joseph Kesselring and opened on January 10, 1941. The play closed in 1944 after a staggering total of 1,444 performances. The New York Times wrote a review of the play on its opening night saying that the performance was, “so funny that none of us will ever forget it.” Now thanks to the Toledo Repertoire Theater, Toledoans will be able to experience this hilariously-bizarre American classic.

The plot of a family affair
The plot of “Arsenic and Old Lace” revolves around the drama critic Mortimer Brewster, his fiance Elaine Harper and his—to put it lightly—eccentric family. Brewster, who is having difficulty deciding whether or not to marry his sweetheart, is forced to negotiate this trying decision while dealing with an increasing number of bizarre crises caused by his humorously unhinged family. The play proceeds to weave a story of macabre and ridiculous hilarity that would make even the strangest household seem normal.

The play is directed by Rosie Best,  a native of the United Kingdom who has lived in the Toledo area for the last 20 years. She remains active in the local arts scene as an actor, dialect coach and director. She most recently served as director for Toledo Rep’s production of “Fiddler on the Roof.”

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“Arsenic and Old Lace” made its way into the Rep’s season democratically. “The former artistic director conducted a survey where he interviewed audience members about what plays they would like us to perform,” Best said. “This was the number one request he received.” She intends to give the people what they want.

An American original
In the upcoming performance, Best plans to stick to the classic version of the play as it was first drafted. “Our rendition will be a very traditional one,” Best said. “The play is very much an American original. I initially had never heard of the play, being from England, but after reading the script I think that it sits well and makes for a very strong comedy.”
The mixture of unpredictability and humor makes Arsenic and Old Lace a play Best feels cannot be missed.
“It’s the unexpected quality of it that I like,” Best said. “We live in a very tragic time and we need something to lift us up. It’s the play’s ability to accomplish this that makes it truly delightful. I think that the arts are the noblest subject,” Best continued. “They give us opportunities to laugh at ourselves and raise us up from the everyday ‘blah.’”

“Arsenic and Old Lace.” November 8-10,
14-17, 8pm Friday-Saturday, 2:30pm Sunday.
$20 adults, $18 seniors, $10 students, $5 children 12 and under. 10th Street Stage,
Toledo Repertoire Theatre. 16 10th St.
419-243-9277. toledorep.org

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