American life in 1941 — with a few unexpected ingredients — will be served up to theatergoers at the Kenworthy Performing Arts Centre in Moscow next week.
The Moscow Community Theatre will present Joseph Kesserling’s play, “Arsenic and Old Lace,” under co-directors Kristin Lincoln Williams and Mike Long.
“As directors, we are both excited by our hard working cast which are making us laugh every rehearsal, even though we know the script well,” Long said in an email. “We are excited to share this dark comedy with those who have never seen it, as well as those for whom this play is a favorite. It will not disappoint.”
This farcical cult classic, celebrating its 75th birthday this year, follows a turning point in the lives of the Brewster family of Brooklyn, as the “merciful” acts of two elderly ladies are discovered by their nephew, Mortimer.
Although a few twists were added to the original play, Long said the cast is staying true to the original production, as well as the time of its debut..
“It does a beautiful job of representing late 1941 while also playfully lampooning the popular culture of the time and the theatre itself,” he wrote.
The play eerily foreshadows the impending attack on Pearl Harbor and America’s entrance into World War II, he said.
Moscow Community Theatre is a nonprofit theater arts organization that places a premium on community enjoyment and “joinability,” Long wrote, so, the play was chosen by a survey of patrons.
“It also has a proven history and was of a size and complexity that we knew we could successfully cast,” Long wrote.
Long wrote that those familiar with both the original play and the 1944 film starring Cary Grant would be delighted with this adaptation.
“It has become a part of popular culture itself, and will bring laughter and joy to every audience member with the hijinks and unexpected plot twists,” he wrote.
if you go
WHAT: Arsenic and Old Lace
WHEN: April 25 and 26, May 2 and 3 at 7:30 p.m.; April 26, May 4 at 2 p.m.
WHERE: Kenworthy Performing Arts Centre, 508 S. Main St., Moscow
COST: $15 general admission, $12 for students and seniors. Tickets available at BookPeople or at the door.
