Arsenic and Old Lace
at Upper Merion Area High School

Reviewed on May 4, 2020

Katrina Conklin
Baldwin School
Submitted for publication to Philadephia Inquirer Website 1

"Family-- whether you like them or not, you're stuck with them." Upper Merion's production of Arsenic and Old Lace put this age-old adage to the test, portraying the chaotically maniacal Brewster family's antics in their engaging, comedic performance.

Written by Joseph Kesselring, Arsenic and Old Lace is a three-act play following Mortimer Brewster, who wants nothing more than to introduce his fiance to his family. The problem? The Brewster family is composed of eccentric, even sadistic deviants, including Mortimer's homicidal aunts, Abby and Martha, who poison the men that visit the lodge they run. The play, set entirely in the Brewster sisters' home, follows this abnormal cast of family members and outsiders, and the chaos and hilarity that ensues when they clash.

Upper Merion's cast gave a stellar performance, successfully delivering the dark humor while portraying their characters authentically. The portrayal of the Brewster family, along with the ensemble of officers and versatile cast of supporting roles, ensured an engaging, humorous production.

Cast highlights included Ryan Slusky's depiction of protagonist Mortimer Brewster, which exhibited detailed character choices that brought the play's hero to life. Additionally, Molly Levine and Ema Isajiw, who played Abby and Martha Mortimer, respectively, did a fantastic job of capturing the sisters' complex, multi-faceted characters while maintaining excellent comedic timing.

Among the excellent myriad of supporting roles, standouts included Keagan Richard's portrayal of Jonathan Brewster, a murderous plastic surgery-addict, executing the character's maniacal nature and maintaining an impressive stage presence throughout the play. Jack Briggs, who played Jonathan's alcoholic accomplice, Dr. Einstein, stood out as a comedic presence, succeeding in consistent humorous delivery. Another notable role was that of Caitlin Cunnane, who portrayed Mortimer's fiance Elaine with clear, authentic delivery.

Additionally, the technical elements of Upper Merion's performance were superb. The two-story, student-designed set, along with the play's intricate props, were incredibly detailed and realistic, nearly of professional quality. Upper Merion's stage crew ensured all these ornate details ran smoothly, further supplementing the production. The lighting and sound, run by Upper Merion's tech crew and sound crew, respectively, were consistently executed as well.

Overall, Upper Merion's production of Arsenic and Old Lace displayed tremendous dedication and effort from the cast and crew, resulting in an excellent, effortless production of a chaotically hilarious story.

Julia Boas
Upper Dublin High School
Submitted for publication to Philadelphia Inquirer Website 2

With a tablespoon of humor, a teaspoon of suspense and a pinch of murder, Upper Merion High School's performance of Arsenic and Old Lace was the perfect recipe!

Arsenic and Old Lace was written by Joseph Kesselring in 1939 and ran on Broadway for 3 years, starting in 1941. Set in Brooklyn New York, the play is about two seemingly innocent old ladies who have a bad habit of murdering the elderly through Arsenic. Through this dark comedy, the Brewster family's secrets are revealed as the suspenseful plot progresses.

The talented cast was able to tell this complicated story with ease as every actor committed to their character with true dedication. Through their own distinct accent and physicality, each actor had strong characterization, contributing to the success of this unique production.

Leading the cast and playing the peculiar Brewster sisters was Molly Levine (Abby Brewster) and Ema Isajiw (Martha Brewster). With her shrill voice and genuine physicality, Levine portrayed the gentle old lady with a lot of humor and one-line jokes. Completing the duo as her partner in crime, Isajiw truly embodied the spirit of the Martha with her sweet and dazed mannerisms. As their conflicted and confused nephew Mortimer, Ryan Slusky did a great job using his facial expressions to draw laughter from the audience.

Another standout was the loveable and hilarious Teddy Brewster (Jack Briggs). With his charges up the stairs and the blow of his bugle, Briggs provided constant lighthearted humor. Also adding to the humor of the production was Luke Preston as the oddball Dr. Einstein. Keagan Richard did a chilling job as the evil Jonathon. While exposing his family's secrets and having a few of his own too, his true sinister nature was revealed. Caitlin Cunnane played the spunky and sassy Elaine with an impressive emotional depth as she changed from happiness to confusion quite often.

The technical aspects were just as strong as the performance. The realistic two-story set was complete with furniture and magnificent detail and was able to immerse audiences into the 1940s. Tackling the many sound effects of doorbell dings and phone rings, the UM Sound crew did a great job setting the mood for this story. Lastly, the UM stage crew was able to manage a broad range of props that had authentic detail.

Overall, Upper Merion High School killed their performance of Arsenic and Old Lace with this professional and comedic production.

Katie Tuberosa
Cardinal O'Hara High School
Submitted for publication to Greater Philly Cappies 3

What do an engagement, an unwelcome visitor, a Teddy Roosevelt wannabe, and two corpses have in common? They all end up in the living room of Brewster home on the same night! This daunting challenge of producing Arsenic and Old Lace was taken on with ease by Upper Merion Area High School.

Written by Joseph Kesselring in 1939, Arsenic and Old Lace debuted on Broadway in 1941. Mortimer Brewster's life is turned upside down when he discovers that his two aunts aren't who they appear to be--they poison lonely men and bury them in their cellar! Making matters even worse, Mortimer's long-lost brother, Jonathan, returns on the same night with an evil plan. Mortimer is surely in for an interesting night!

The fourteen cast members made their show a roaring success through their character study and flawless comedic timing. Whether part of the stage crew or on the marketing team, the behind-the-scenes efforts also superbly complemented the production.

Molly Levine proved to be the driving force of the show as she portrayed Abby Brewster impeccably. Her innocent acting, charming old woman voice, and underlying comedic tone made Levine an audience favorite. Ema Isajiw (Martha Brewster) remarkably paralleled Levine as they sustained irrefutable chemistry, tremendous inflection, and synchronized movement. Ryan Slusky (Mortimer) established himself as a character actor as he took Mortimer's range of emotions and ingeniously depicted the highs and lows of the man who was brought into the wrong family.

Keagan Richard immersed himself in the life of Jonathan and provoked chills with his maniacal voice, meticulous facial expressions, and eerie demeanor. While Richard commanded the stage through his terrorizing insanity, Luke Preston played off his work as Richard's mad acquaintance, Dr. Einstein. With hints of a German accent and deliberate movements, Preston adroitly portrayed the show-stealing sidekick. Jack Briggs lightened the mood of the sinister show with his hysterical depiction of the delirious Teddy Brewster, who believed that he was President Teddy Roosevelt. His energy never faltered no matter how many times he cried, "CHARGE!"

With the play only taking place in the Brewster living room, Aedan Mikelonis, Gabe Varnas, and Chase Smith maximized the space and detail of the simple but intricate set that suited the time period. Another notable contribution came from the UM Marketing Team that revamped a seasoned show to be appealing through social media and promotional materials. Led by Cynthia Loufik, the UM Sound Crew enabled the actors to be easily understood.

Even though Mortimer may think "the theatre can't last much longer," Arsenic and Old Lace proved that theatre will always be a focal point at Upper Merion!

Aiden Kaliner
Harriton High School
Submitted for publication to Greater Philly Cappies 4

Whatever may be in the cellar of the Brewster house isn't what you expected. Not just one or two dead bodies, but twelve murdered bachelors. Upper Merion High School's production of Arsenic and Old Lace was filled with suspense, witty humor, and poisonous elderberry wine.

Arsenic and Old Lace is a dark comedy written by Joseph Kesselring, revolving around the insanity of the Brewster family. After Mortimer discovers his aunts' idiosyncratic tendencies to poison lonely, old men with homemade elderberry wine, he desperately tries to cover up his family's murder streak. Turmoil quickly ensues for Mortimer as his maniacal brother, Jonathan, and his intoxicated doctor arrives to dump their newest victim.

With many eccentric characters, The Upper Merion Underground Players did an amazing job at creating the zany and ridiculous Brewsters. Although it was hard to understand some actors at times due to thick, yet comical accents, the show was still enjoyable to watch.

At the heart of the show, Molly Levine (Abby Brewster) and Ema Isajiw (Martha Brewster) portrayed the endearing-yet-twisted old ladies perfectly. The two had great compatible energy, which created the devious homicidal sisters. Molly Levine, in particular, grounded the show with her naive humor. Ryan Slusky as Mortimer Brewster was the perfect contrast to the other erratic characters. He commanded the stage throughout the show, so seeing him slip into a frantic attitude to cover up the victims of the Brewster family sinister tradition was brilliant.

Among the supporting cast, Keagan Richard played Jonathan Brewster, Mortimer's malicious sociopathic brother. His impressive dedication to the role was clear, including great physical comedy. Alongside Richard was Luke Preston as Dr. Einstein. Preston clearly captured the over-the-top energy needed to play the German doctor. The dynamic duo was entertaining for the entire play. Lastly, Jack Briggs (Teddy Brewster) had the audience in hysterics every time he yelled "CHARGE!" running up the stairs.

The professional and impressive set design, by Aedan Mikelonis, Gabe Varnas, and Chase Smith, creatively reflected the 1940s era. The complexity of the design enriched each scene and set the mood for the show perfectly. The use of the stairs and the large window complimented the directing and physical comedy of the actors. Trish Smith and the UM Stage Crew did a commendable job with the props as well.

Upper Merion High School's production of Arsenic and Old Lace had the perfect recipe of poison to knock the audience dead with dark humor and memorable characters.