Leah Tipton as Elaine and Brock Butler as Mortimer Brewster in a scene from Arsenic and Old Lace, opening May 13 at Elkhart Civic Theatre’s Bristol Opera House. Painting by Chad Harms. Photo provided.

News Release

ELKHART — Next up at Elkhart Civic Theatre’s Bristol Opera House is the classic dark comedy, Arsenic and Old Lace, opening May 13 for a two-weekend run. The show is directed by Dave Dufour, assisted by Amberly Nichols.

Arsenic and Old Lace concerns the elderly Brewster sisters, whose “charity” is putting older gentlemen out of their misery with poisoned elderberry wine. They’re found out by their favorite nephew, Mortimer, who is aghast at the situation but still wants to protect his favorite aunts. Add to the mix Mortimer’s brother, Teddy, who thinks he’s Teddy Roosevelt, and his other brother, the homicidal Jonathan, and you have the makings of a classic black farce. Arsenic and Old Lace ran on Broadway for three years, was turned into a movie starring Cary Grant and has been a staple of regional theater ever since.

The cast of Arsenic and Old Lace is:

Brock Butler — Mortimer Brewster
Stacey Nickel — Abby Brewster
Angela Runyan — Martha Brewster
John Tipton — Teddy Brewster
Michael Case — Jonathan Brewster
Tony Venable — Dr. Einstein
Leah Tipton — Elaine Harper
Chad Harms — Officer O’Hara
Hannah Miller — Officer Brophy
Brendan Klase — Officer Klein
Larry Smith Rev. Harper — Mr. Witherspoon
Collin Szymanski Gibbs — Lt. Rooney

Tickets for Arsenic and Old Lace are available at elkhartcivictheatre.org/tix or by calling the Elkhart Civic Theatre box office at (574) 848-4116.