Arsenic and Old Lace does not translate well into 2012. Unfortunately, the Vagabond Players have chosen it for their Jan. 6 — Feb. 7 showing.
It is a comedy piece from 1941 that deals with two sweet maiden aunts, Abby and Martha Brewster, played by Carol Evans and Joan Crooks, respectively. They are involved in charity work, community activities and, incidentally, murder.
They advertise their Brooklyn home as a boarding house and then poison lonely old men who show up looking for a room. They see it as a good deed and take pride in bringing unhappy people to peace.
They cannot understand why their nephew Mortimer, played by Sean Mullin, makes such a fuss when he finds out about their little hobby. Mortimer is a theater critic courting the alluring but demanding Elaine, played by Kate Shoemaker. He comes home from a date and discovers a dead body in his aunt's window seat.
Things are further complicated by the arrival of Mortimer's disturbed brother Jonathan, played by Roy Hammond, and his associate Dr. Einstein, played by Eric C. Stein. These two legitimate criminals serve as a comedic foil to the aunts' well-intentioned serial killing.
Absurdity abounds as each party attempts to deal with relocating a corpse. The logistics of them all trying to sneak around and hide a body are the funniest parts of the play.
Certain aspects of Arsenic and Old Lace are definitely intriguing. There is mention of the Brewster family quirk, which begins with the original owner of the house, appears paradoxically in the aunts, and finally materializes in the depraved Jonathan. This detail is an amusing and interesting way to connect the seemingly disparate characters.
There is also some successful humor in the play. One line is particularly comical, especially for someone watching as a reviewer. Often subjected to boring and poorly made theater, Mortimer remarks, "I can save time if I write the review on the way to the theater." There is something endearingly self-referential about a character on stage whose job is to go to plays.
Arsenic and Old Lace has the charm of nostalgia to it. The set design and resulting atmosphere are very appealing. The Brewster's home has a delicate Victorian vibe to it.
Yet despite these superficial charms, the play has little else to offer current audiences. The Vagabond Players perform enthusiastically, but the style of the play itself is stale.
It relies heavily, and, no longer successfully, on the humor of contradiction and farce. It mocks conventions of theater and film of the time and references popular tropes, such as the mad doctor and Frankenstein. The spooky laboratory in the Brewster house is no doubt a spoof of contemporary horror movies.
The main issue with Arsenic and Old Lace is the characters. They are stock characters, essentially caricatures of common cinematic and theatrical figures.
Their function is to convey outdated humor more than depth. They make watching Arsenic and Old Lace an absurd and slightly frustrating experience.
Of course, realism is not the play's intent, but the characters are just too ridiculous to connect with an audience separated from their types by seventy years. The play calls for artificial, over-the-top and showy acting. This faux energy and cheeriness is just too contrived for the present day.
True, Mullin is charming as Mortimer and Evans and Crooks are adorable as the Brewster aunts. But cuteness does not redeem a fading play. Arsenic and Old Lace may once have been innovative and exciting, but years of evolving theater have diminished its impact.
It is supposed to be funny, but now it only succeeds about 1/3 of the time. It's silly and not in a way that relates to modern audiences. The play is not badly written, performed or directed, but in 2012 it misses the mark.
It seems stilted, as if it is trying too hard to animate farce. It is an unfortunate fact that jokes funny in 1941 do not always work today. For a play that relies on comedy, this is a rather obvious problem.
Yet it is worth noting that the elderly people in the audience seemed to love Arsenic and Old Lace. There must be something about it that they enjoy. It was very successful in its time, so it certainly has some merits. Perhaps it is worth giving the play a few more runs until it is completely tired out.
If you were around in 1941, you still might enjoy the Vagabond Players' Arsenic and Old Lace.
