playbill vip

On the surface, Arsenic and Old Lace is simple: it’s a comedic play about murder. “Wait, what?” I hear you say. “Murder is a serious crime, it’s nothing to be laughed at.” Real-life murder is a serious issue—one that confronts us daily if we open virtually any news source. But stories are not news. Stories frequently feature characters who do and say things we think are foolish or even downright wrong, things that would go viral due to their sheer audacity if they were to happen in real life. In The Little Mermaid, Ariel’s impulsiveness and rebellion create the central conflict in the story. But when Ariel reaps the fruit of her actions, we don’t smile knowingly; instead, we stand with her and cheer while the shrewd sea-witch Ursula is impaled by her love interest. Throughout history, humans have used story—particularly comedy—to grapple with things that frighten or discomfort them, or to critique sensitive topics in a way that often seems less threatening than a direct debate.

Even the Bible is filled with stories about people being killed—and sometimes in rather audacious ways! Absalom gets his hair stuck in a tree, and while he is dangling from the tree is impaled by three javelins (2 Samuel 18). And Jael promises an oppressive commander safety, then drives a tent stake through his temple while he’s sleeping (Judges 4). But the Bible is clear: murder is wrong (cf. Exodus 20:13, Number 35, Deuteronomy 5:17, Matthew 19:18, 1 Timothy 1:9, among others). Abby and Martha have murdered, so have Jonathan and Dr. Einstein. If murder is wrong, why do we find ourselves hoping one pair faces judgement but the other pair is excused? Perhaps it is because we tend to create a hierarchy of sins: judging some as worse than others, depending on whether there is ill will or good intentions. But scripture is clear—ALL have sinned and fall short (cf. Romans 3:23)

James 2:10-11 says, “For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it. For he who said, ‘You shall not commit adultery,’ also said, ‘You shall not murder.’ If you do not commit adultery but do commit murder, you have become a lawbreaker.” We all want to see ourselves as the Abby or Martha of the story: “good people”, well intentioned, religious, but sometimes a little off target. Instead, we stand with Jonathan and Dr. Einstein: guilty and facing judgement for a lifetime of sin and law-breaking. “If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us.” (1 John 1:8)

We are not, however, left to languish in our sin. Yes, we deserve the punishment that ultimately comes upon some of the characters in this play, but we also have available to us the gifts of mercy and grace that come from God. “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 6:23) “He saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit.” (Titus 3:5)

In the midst of your laughter tonight—and we hope you will laugh!—may you catch a glimpse of the joy that comes when you are cleansed of your sins and filled with the Holy Spirit. “Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord.” (Acts 3:19)

Ryan Long

Director/Producer
Associate Professor of Performing Arts