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What is love? In the article 16 Characteristics of Real Love, "Love is unconditional. The word “unconditional” means that there are no expectations or limitations set. To love unconditionally is a difficult thing, and most humans aren't good at that. But true love really does love without trying to change the other person." In the farcical world of "Arsenic and Old Lace," we see various expressions of love throughout the play.

Mortimer Brewster loves his life - he has a steady job at a NY newspaper, he's in love with his fiance, Elaine, and comes to visit his sweet spinster aunts to announce his engagement. Unfortunately, he discovers that his aunt's love for doing charitable work has morphed into poisoning lonely old men to put them out of their miserable existence. Mortimer is torn between his love for his aunts and his love for justice. If he turns his aunts in, who will protect his brother Teddy, whose love of imagination has led him to believe he is Teddy Roosevelt? Just when Mortimer thinks things can not get any worse, his maniacal brother, Jonathan, with a love for violence, has returned to his childhood home. Can Mortimer love his aunts, his brothers, his fiance UNCONDITIONALLY...without losing his sanity? Perhaps 1 Corinthians 13:7-8 says it best: "It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails."

Chan Ta Rivers