Marquette Student Wears Cap as Theater Critic with 'Arsenic and Old Lace'

Thirteen people, thirteen sips of homemade Elderberry wine, thirteen lives taken. At the Brewster home, things just aren’t right… for more reasons than one. On Saturday evening, Pattonville High School closed their captivating production of Arsenic & Old Lace.

Arsenic & Old Lace, written by Joseph Kesselring, first opened on stage in 1941 and closed in 1944 after 1,444 performances. The story follows two elderly sisters, Abby and Martha Brewster and their nephews, Mortimer, Jonathan and Teddy.  Mortimer Brewster’s life changes forever when lifting the family window seat, and discovering a dead body. His dainty aunts decide to come clean with their nephew about their kills and explain the 11 other dead bodies buried in the cellar of the house. But when long-lost brother, Jonathan pays an unexpected visit, things begin to transform from crazy to seemingly unreal.

Pattonville High School’s rendition of Arsenic & Old Lace was performed well beyond high school level. As new characters entered the story, the more intriguing the show became. Each member of the cast carried their distinctive characters with tremendous precision and poise.

The lead characters individually and collectively created incredible chemistry, vitality and passion throughout the entire production. Starring as Mortimer Brewster, Sam Decker instantly picked up the pace of the show and added infectious energy to the stage. His dramatic facial expressions and charming personality morphed an easily memorable performance.  Stealing the show, Harry Kolmer (Jonathan Brewster) used his unique character to his advantage. Kolmer’s energy and enthusiasm throughout his entire performance was nothing shy of spectacular.

Despite the immaculate leads, the supporting and featured actors held their characters in this production. Starring as Jonathan Brewster’s sidekick, David Robinson (Dr. Einstein) kept undeniable chemistry to his partner in crime. Robinson’s realistic nervousness around his superior created a unique relationship between the two, despite several other pairings in the cast. Bringing endless laughs throughout the auditorium, Aaron Landgraf (Teddy Brewster) portrayed a crazy-yet-convincing Teddy Roosevelt. Despite limited stage time, Landgraf took “CHARGE!” of what was provided, and created an amiable character.

The technical aspects of the show mostly stood as high-quality and impressive. Although an unnecessary distracting light at the top of the stage struck the audience the entire second and third acts, the marvelous and practical set (Deb Garwood, Joey Hakanson) was complex, well-structured and fulfilled the actors’ needs. Costumes (Megan Hernke) and Props (Harlee Custer) fit well for each character and all remained in the same time period.

Remarkable acting, unique technical aspects and realistic chemistry made this production of Arsenic & Old Lace a real killer. Although the Brewster aunts may have vowed each other to kill people, Pattonville High School vowed to a great show, and kept their promise.