Pentacle Theatre presents Arsenic and Old Lace on stage beginning January 30th
When director Scott Ramp pitched to kick off Pentacle Theatre’s 2025 season with Arsenic and Old Lace, he wasn’t discouraged by the fact that “most everyone has seen or been in a previous production,” he said. “I actually looked at it as a challenge to put my stamp on it.”
“I really wanted the first slot — not always desirable with weather issues, holidays, etc. — because I wanted to kick off the season with an old classic comedy! …I just want people to leave laughing and set a tone for customers to become future audiences.”
Written by Joseph Kesselring, Arsenic and Old Lace is a “farcical black comedy revolving around the Brewster family, descended from Mayflower settlers but now composed of maniacs, most of them homicidal. The hero, Mortimer Brewster, is a drama critic who must deal with his crazy, murderous family and local police in Brooklyn, New York, as he debates whether to go through with his recent promise to marry the woman he loves, Elaine Harper, who lives next door and is the daughter of the local minister.”
For Scott, taking a familiar piece and changing it in subtle ways has been one of his favorite parts of the experience of directing this show.
“...The set is a character in itself. If you look closely, there are ‘odd’ things all around. The architecture, the props, the set dressing. It’s all part of the reasoning that the man who built the home in the mid-late 1800s was an odd man and didn’t build a typical Victorian home. We have rounded walls, an arrow-slit window, a hidden door and lots of quirky ‘death-related’ props all around.”
But it doesn’t stop with the set.
“The way the ladies reference grandfather is different, too….there is a line when Mortimer says having the first man die in front of them must’ve been terrible for them and Martha responds ‘Oh no, dear! It was like old times. Grandfather always used to have a cadaver or two around the house.’ It’s a funny line just as it is, but I wanted them to picture that, rather than just cadavers in his lab that he used to pose them around the house — tea party guests, posed in funny positions, etc,” said Scott. “It gives them the memory of him as a wacky guy and they giggle now at that line, which makes it even funnier. Overall, I’m just making sure that my actors understand AND have a history with all of their lines so it feels more real…even the small parts.”
The cast Scott speaks of? It’s a notable line-up of local actors, most of whom are veterans of the stage including —
- Deborah Johansen as Abby Brewster
- Pamela Bilderbeck as Martha Brewster
- Travis Brown as Mortimer Brewster
- Ken Hermens as Jonathan Brewster
- Frank Kowal III as Teddy “Roosevelt” Brewster
- Rob Sim as Dr. Einstein
- Megan Woodward Emerick as Elaine Harper
- Anthony J. Redelsperger as Officer O’Hara
- Justin King as Officer Klein
- Robert Condron as Officer Brophy
- Walt Haight as Rev. Harper/LT. Rooney
- Ed Schoaps as Mr. Gibbs/Mr. Witherspoon
Ultimately, Scott hopes this show appeals to a wide variety of people so it can bring a new audience to Pentacle “...not only for this show but [to] make them want to come see more shows.”
So get your tickets now and prepare for “an uproarious tale of poisons, eccentric relatives, and one man’s race to escape his own family chaos.”
Arsenic and Old Lace
When: Jan 31 through Feb 22
Where: Pentacle Theatre, 324 52nd Ave. NW
Note: There will be captioned performances on Friday, Feb 7 and Saturday night, Feb 15.
Pentacle Theatre Arsenic and Old Lace