Arsenic and Old Lace

Description

December 5th-7th and 12th-14th

Drama critic Mortimer Brewster and his sweetheart Elaine have just made up their minds to elope. But then, with the train practically pulling into the station and Elaine next door packing, he discovers his delightful aunts are poisoning lonely old men and, helped by his brother who thinks he’s Teddy Roosevelt, burying them in the basement.  Mortimer doesn’t dare tell Elaine what’s going on, but sorting this out definitely means delaying the wedding. Then comes another complication: his evil brother Jonathan arrives looking for a place to hide out while having the plastic surgery that will save him from being caught and sent back to prison. Can Mortimer save his family, see justice done, and marry Elaine?

 

Arsenic and Old Lace is often described as a classic dark comedy with plenty of laughs, melodramatic thrills, and a little slapstick.  It’s all of that. But it’s also a play about wanting to do your best for the good people in your life, the desire to shelter them not only from blatant evil, but also from loneliness, ridicule and heartbreak.

Date & Time

Dec 5 - 14, 2025

Venue Details

Starlighters II Theatre

200 East Main St
Anamosa, Iowa 52205

Starlighters II Theatre