Good morning Natchez and the Miss-Lou!

Natchez Little Theatre is proud to present as its third show of the 65th season, the farcical black comedy classic, “Arsenic and Old Lace,” Nov. 8 – 11, at the Natchez Little Theatre at 319 Linton Ave. at Maple Street.

The show was written by American playwright, Joseph Kesselring. “Arsenic and Old Lace” premiered at the Fulton Theatre in New York on Aug. 18, 1941, and ran for 1,444 performances. Boris Karloff created the role of Jonathan Brewster. Written in 1939, the play is best known by the film adaptation starring Cary Grant and directed by Frank Capra.

In “Arsenic and Old Lace,” we met the charming and innocent Brewster sisters who populate their cellar with the remains of socially and religiously “acceptable” roomers; the antics of their nephews, one who thinks he is Teddy Roosevelt; one a socially prominent drama critic and the other on the lam from an asylum for the criminally insane.

The hilarious cast is made of Layne Taylor as Mortimer Brewster; Anne White as Martha Brewster; Judy Wiggins as Abby Brewster; Charlie Vess as Teddy “Roosevelt” Brewster; Bo Allen as Jonathan Brewster; Dwight Adams as Dr. Herbert Einstein; Susannah Heatherly as Elaine Harper; Stacey Carden as the Rev. Dr. Harper; John Groue as Officer Brophy; Bryan Carroll as Office Klein; Tyler Brown as Officer O’Hara; Lee Dellinger as Lieutenant Rooney; myself as Mr. Gibbs and Mike Gemmell as Mr. Witherspoon.

My assistant director on the production is Morgan Mizell and Lynn Mann will run lights and sound.

It was a challenge designing and constructing the sets but a delight directing such a talented cast of NLT veterans and newcomers.

“Arsenic and Old Lace” opens with a benefit preview performance at 7 p.m. Wednesday with $10 tickets, and proceeds going the NLT’s Mayweather Hall Restoration Fund.

The show runs at 7:30 Thursday through Saturday evenings, Nov. 8-10, and closes at 2 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 11, with a matinee.

Tickets for the performances are $15 for non-members of NLT and should be reserved by calling the theater at 601-442-2233; toll free at 1-877-440-2233; or guarantee your reservations online at www.natcheztheatre.org.

Come enjoy this delightfully funny production with a stellar cast.

I look forward to seeing you at “Arsenic and Old Lace!”

 

Don Vesterse is the technical director of the Natchez Little Theatre and director of “Arsenic and Old Lace.”