Arsenic and Old Lace (2018)

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I was in Greenbelt and I saw that The Repertory Philippines was performing a play called "Arsenic and Old Lace" at OnStage Theatre. As usual, I decided to watch at the last minute, opting not to read anything about the play so that I'd be pleasantly surprised.

And The Rep did not disappoint. It delivered the drama, the suspense, and the comedy.

"Arsenic and Old Lace" is a Broadway hit dark comedy by Joseph Kesserling. The plot is about Mortimer Brewster, a theatre critic who was about to marry the love of his life, and his family, who lived in a mansion in Brooklyn, New York. The family consisted of two spinster aunts who killed lonely old men with wine laced with arsenic, strychnine, and cyanide; a murderous brother who had several facial surgeries; and a delusional brother who thought that he was Theodore Roosevelt. His delusional brother has been tasked with burying the men that their aunts killed in the cellar. The murderous brother went home to find a means to hide his latest victim. Mortimer was afraid that he would pass on the family's insanity to his future children, making him hesitate about pushing through with his marriage. In the end, it was revealed that he was adopted, allowing him to pursue married life without fear of turning psycho on his wife and kids.

The actors portrayed their roles really well... the play was as funny as it was morbid. As I walked out of the theatre, I just wondered: Why didn't they present this during Halloween? It would have been a great play for that season. But I know that The Rep has more in store for its audience.

We just need to stay tuned for The Rep's next production.

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