Who would have thought that a play about two sweet, lovable,
old ladies who “help” lonely, old men find a peaceful rest, would
turn out to be such a huge success?
The play Arsenic and Old Lace opened on Broadway in 1941 and ran for three years. If you have seen the movie, you’ve also seen most of the original cast. With few exceptions (Cary Grant as Mortimer and Boris Karloff as Jonathon) the movie starred the Broadway cast in their original roles. After all….why mess with perfection?
Despite its strange and slightly bent storyline, Arsenic and Old
Lace has been entertaining audiences for the past seventy-six
years! It is a pleasure to present our version of Arsenic and Old
Lace to a new generation of theater goers; true to the original
script with a few variations thrown in!
It has been a real pleasure working with the cast and crew
of Arsenic . As you can see before you, many hours went into
bringing the Brewster household to our Performing Arts Center.
We would like to extend a special thank you to all of the parents
who donated their time and talents working on this show.
The cast and I have had a lot of fun preparing this production for
you. We’ve had many laughs along the way and we’re sure you
will find the quirky, offbeat humor of this show equally enjoyable.
This is my seventeenth year directing shows at West Ottawa
and I am continually amazed at the enthusiasm, dedication,
and creativity our high school students bring to each show.
The theater inspires the imagination, develops talent, forges
friendships, encourages collaboration, and provides a safe and
diverse environment in which these young men and women can
explore their unique and noteworthy talents.
Thank you for joining us for this performance of Arsenic and Old
Lace . We hope you find it an enjoyable experience.
Joe Huber
