Arsenic and Old Lace:A highly entertaining evening at Kanata Theatre

 

 

Arsenic and Old Lace By Joseph Kesselring; Kanata Theatre
Directed by Jim Clarke

Judging from the packed houses and the enthusiastic audience response, the Kanata Theatre production of Joseph Kesselring’s dark comedy Arsenic and Old Lace has been unaffected by another local company (Ottawa Little Theatre) mounting the show earlier in the same season.

This is, in part, because of the familiarity of the 76-year-old tale about the charitable and genteel Brewster sisters, who dispatched lonely gentlemen and then gave them a Christian burial in the basement of their home. It also acknowledges the quality of the Kanata Theatre production.

Kesselring’s inspiration for Arsenic and Old Lace was the case of Connecticut nursing home administrator and serial killer Amy Archer-Gilligan, believed to have poisoned more than 50 victims, including her second husband, between 1911 and 1917.

The hit comedy, which premiered on Broadway in 1941 and ran for a record 1,333 performances before moving to the West End, has continued its popularity over the years via the stage and the movie screen. (The Frank Capra movie was released in 1944.)

The craziness of the Brewster family, from the sweetly murderous Abby and Martha Brewster and their pleasantly nutty nephew Teddy to their even crazier and much more dangerous older nephew Jonathan is memorable in all its incarnations. (The in-joke is that Jonathan looks like Boris Karloff, who played the role in the original Broadway run.)

The highly entertaining Kanata Theatre production, directed by Jim Clarke, is backed by a very attractive and workable set, designed by Heidi Roberts. In the lead roles of sisters Abby and Martha, Joyce Landry and Tracey Bourke work smoothly together, mixing the “lacey” personas of their charitable occupations with their delight in their murderous intentions, often conveying their thoughts simply through exchanging glances or smiling gleefully.

As reluctant theatre critic Mortimer, the only apparently sane member of the Brewster family, Cameron Bishop moves from a slightly tentative beginning into a comfortable interpretation and believable interaction with his brothers, his fiancée, Elaine (a businesslike presentation by Amy Osborne) and irritation with Officer O’Hara (Stavros Sakiadis) the police officer with playwriting ambitions.

As the criminally insane brother Jonathan, Frank Sasin, while sometimes not as menacing as the role requires, has a clear understanding of the monster he is portraying.

Among the remaining cast members, three stand out for the quality of their characterizations. Clearly having fun with the role of Teddy, Gordon Walls delivers an amusing and rounded characterization, whether he is charging up the staircase, preparing to dig graves for “yellow fever” victims in the Panama Canal (basement) or letting out a blast on his bugle.

Barry Caiger is equally at ease in presenting Jonathan’s sidekick Dr. Einstein. Balanced on a knife-edge but never going over the top, he is both consistently funny and entirely believable. And Tom Kobolak, outstanding in the cameo of potential lodger Mr. Gibbs, delivers a very different view as the police lieutenant, trying to untangle events at the Brewster house.

Arsenic and Old Lace, like most plays of its era, was originally a three-act play. Now, it is generally presented in two long acts, which can drag a little in places. While Clarke’s crisp direction takes this into consideration, the Kanata Theatre production, at just shy of three hours, could be even more effective if it were speeded up. Nevertheless, the production offers an evening of murder and mayhem that is a lot of fun.

Arsenic and Old Lace continues at Kanata Theatre to April 7.

Director: Jim Clarke
Set: Heidi Roberts
Lighting: Torin Zaugg
Sound: Mike Bosnich and Wayne Murray
Costumes: Kathryn Clarke

Cast:
Abby Brewster…………………………………………….Joyce Landry
Martha Brewster…………………………………………..Tracey Bourke
Teddy Brewster……………………………………………Gordon Walls
Mortimer Brewster………………………………………..Cameron Bishop
Jonathan Brewster…………………………………………Frank Sasin
Rev. Dr. Harper/Mr. Witherspoon………………………..Ric O’Dell
Elaine Harper……………………………………………..Amy Osborne
Dr. Einstein……………………………………………….Barry Caiger
Lieutenant Rooney/Mr. Gibbs…………………………….Tom Kobolak
Officer Brophy…………………………………………….Brian McManus
Officer Klein………………………………………………Devin Dewar
Officer O’Hara…………………………………………….Stavros Sakiadis