Arsenic And Old Lace

The Walnut Street Theatre, located at 825 Walnut Street, is presenting Arsenic and Old Lace through April 27^th on its mainstage.  Mary Martello and Jane Ridley give us a delightful portrayal  of two sweet, kind, and generous little old neighborhood ladies in Brooklyn. But one must not forget that this is a farce.  The Brewster women are truly charming but more than a little crazy, as are two of their nephews. Jonathon Brewster, played by Dan Olmstead, has escaped from a prison for the criminally insane and compellingly has no intention of hiding his mean streak, while his brother Teddy, portrayed by Ben Dibble, is convinced that he is President Theodore Roosevelt .working on the Panama Canal.  What sane person would want to get involved with this family?  Neighbor Elaine Harper, portrayed by Jennie Eisenhower, has fallen in love with the third brother, Mortimer,played by Damon Bonetti. While Mortimer shares her feelings, he tries to discourage her because he is afraid his family’s genetics might catch up with him. As a good farce should be, this production is a labyrinth of twists and turns before reaching its ending and produces many laughs along the way. The set is magnificent. Kudos to the entire design staff for a job well done: Scenic designer Robert Klingelhoefer, lighting designer Shon Causer, costume designer Colleen Grady and sound designer Jacob Mishler have produced a brilliant mansion parlor and staircase, with many egresses. The lighting and sound add to the tension that builds and the costumes add to the hilarity. Arsenic and Old Lace is not a new show but this production is very well done. If you have never seen it before, you must see it now.  If you have seen it in the past, come and refresh your memory and laugh anew at the antics on Walnut’s mainstage. For more information or tickets, phone 215-574-3550, 800-982-2787 or visit online at www.walnutstreettheatre.org.