Treat yourself to some classic fun with this outstanding comedy. The North Carolina History Theater will present Joseph Kesselring’s “Arsenic & Old Lace” at the North Carolina History Center’s Cullman Hall located at 529 S. Front St. on May 5, 6, 12, and 13 at 7:30 p.m. and on May 7 and 14 at 2 p.m.
Written in 1939, Arsenic and Old Lace was first presented in 1941. Folks needed light entertainment as they were worried about the war in Europe and the growing fear that America would be pulled into it. On January 10, Broadway gave them exactly what they were looking for in the form of a hilarious new play by Joseph Kesselring,
Many remember the 1944 Frank Capra film starring Cary Grant. We tend to think of dysfunctional families as a recent label. This hilarious group shows they’ve been around a long time. In “Arsenic & Old Lace” drama critic Mortimer Brewster’s engagement announcement is upended when he discovers a corpse in his elderly aunts’ window seat. Between his aunts’ penchant for poisoning wine, a brother who thinks he’s Teddy Roosevelt, and another brother using plastic surgery to hide from the police—not to mention Mortimer’s own hesitancy about marriage—it’ll be a miracle if Mortimer makes it to his wedding. Arsenic and Old Lace is a classic black comedy about the only thing more deadly than poison: family.
Directed by Sue Baldwin, “Arsenic and Old Lace” promises to provide a lively evening full of classic entertainment.
Tickets for “Arsenic and Old Lace are available online at NCHistoryTheater.org or in person at the Bank of the Arts at 317 Middle Street in New Bern.
The North Carolina History Theater, Inc., is a qualified 501(c)(3) non-profit organization dedicated to expressing and exploring the unique history of North Carolina through the performing arts and celebrating the rich diversity of our state in all forms of artistic expression. Contact them via email.
Submitted by Kathy Morrison