WMPAC: Arsenic and Old Lace

Written by Joseph Kesselring and first staged on Broadway in 1941, the play cleverly mixes farce with the macabre. It centers on the seemingly sweet Brewster sisters, Abby and Martha, whose idea of “charity” involves poisoning lonely old men with elderberry wine. Their eccentric nephew Teddy, who believes he is President Theodore Roosevelt, helps bury the evidence, while their drama-critic nephew Mortimer uncovers the family’s deadly secret—just as his criminal brother Jonathan returns home. Fast-paced and hilariously twisted, the play became a Broadway hit and was adapted into Frank Capra’s classic 1944 film.

Big Sky Community Theatre has been gathering locals to the stage annually since 2013 with the purpose of entertaining, inspiring, and enlightening audiences. Funded through Big Sky School District’s Adult Education Program, the theater group comprises volunteer community members of all backgrounds and levels of stage experience.