By Christina Perryman
Candlelight Theatre in Delaware has been glowing for 55 years and after seeing their current production, it is easy to see why. “Arsenic and Old Lace,” by Joseph Kesserlring, excellently directed by Tom Teti, opened to a sold-out audience on May 9.
“Arsenic and Old Lace” debuted on Broadway in 1941. The show follows the antics of the Brewsters, an upscale Brooklyn family with a dark history. Elderly sisters Abby and Martha are beloved by their community for their friendliness, compassion, and charitable deeds. They are care takers to their nephew, Teddy, who believes he is President Teddy Roosevelt, and frequently visited by their second nephew, Mortimer, a theater hating critic. A third nephew, Jonathan, was a troubled child who left home years ago.
“Arsenic and Old Lace” is on stage at Candlelight Theatre, 2208 Millers Road, Wilmington, Del., through June 20.
At the start of the play, Abby is arranging for Teddy’s care after she and Martha are gone. Mortimer stops by on his way to meet his girlfriend, Elaine, before they head to the theater. Elaine is the preacher’s daughter who lives next door. In an impulsive move, Mortimer proposes to Elaine in his aunts’ living room, much to the delight of Abby and Martha, and despite his misgivings over the insanity that seems to gallop through the family.
Mortimer’s concerns are justified when he finds a dead body in the window seat. He fears Teddy has finally turned violent, like Jonathan, and prepares Abby and Martha for a shock. That shock, however, is all for Mortimer when he discovers his aunts’ secret. In a kindly gesture, they have poisoned 12 lonely old men with elderberry wine “laced with arsenic, strychnine and just a pinch of cyanide.” What’s more, Teddy has been burying the bodies in the basement, convinced he is digging locks in Panama and that the men all died of yellow fever.
As Mortimer scrambles to find a way out of several murder charges, tensions mount when Jonathan, recently escaped from an Indiana prison for the criminally insane, arrives. Jonathan brings his own baggage – in the form of his accomplice, Dr. Einstein, and a dead body of his own.
The twists and turns continue as the upper hand shifts several times with hilarious results.
Candlelight’s top-notch cast is led by Janean Clare as Abby and Susan Giddings as Martha. Clare and Giddings are the epitome of friendly old ladies. Their manners, their delight in Mortimer and care for Teddy are evident in their voices and movements. Giddings is quite funny when Jonathan arrives. Johnny Drumgoole is terrific as Mortimer. His physical comedy and theatrics are very amusing. In a family full of kooks and crooks, Drumgoole’s upstanding, if pompous, performance is a great contrast to the other characters. Steve Connor is menacing as Jonathan. He stalks the stage and his relatives, seems to relish his darkness, and speaks in a deliberate yet silky manner that can give you chills. Laura Mancano is refreshing as Elaine Harper. She takes the character through a wide range of emotions from upbeat, to confused to scared and more.
Shaun Yates is delightful as Teddy. The way he charges up the stairs, salutes the police officers, and appoints everyone to his cabinet is quite funny. David T. Wills (Dr. Einstein) is equally hilarious. For Wills, it is not just his physical comedy. I enjoyed how he almost mumbled certain responses that seemed like throw away lines but were the funniest moments in the scenes. One example is when the police are reading the description of Dr. Einstein. I will not give it away, but Wills had me laughing the entire time.
Dan Healy, Mac Versak-Kennedy, jack Dibeler, William McHattie, David Cuff and Michael Ignudo complete the cast.
The set, designed by Matthew J. Kator, with props and set dressing by Anthony Connell, transported the audience to an old, posh Brooklyn home. The pictures on the walls, the grandfather clock, the lace doilies, and the China cabinet transported me to my grandmother’s home. Wigs and makeup by Clayton Stacey were outstanding, particularly Jonathan’s makeup and the ladies’ wigs. Timothy Lamont Cannon dressed the actors well. I especially liked Elaine’s dresses and the offices uniforms.
If you go:
“Arsenic and Old Lace” is on stage at Candlelight Theatre, 2208 Millers Road, Wilmington, Del., through June 20. Tickets start at $72 and include a delicious meal. The menu for “Arsenic and Old Lace” includes shrimp cocktail, a salad, shredded pot roast and gravy, garlic mashed potatoes, salmon with a Thai chili sauce, sauteed carrots and green beans, and (my favorite) penne pasta with veggies. Dessert is also included. Fridays and Saturdays, and select Thursdays, doors open at 6 p.m. for dinner followed by the show at 8 p.m.; Sundays doors open at 1 p.m. for meal service and show at 3 p.m. Show only tickets are available. For complete ticket information, visit Candlelight Theater Delaware – Dining and Entertainment Beyond Your Expectations or call the box office at 1-302-475-2313.