Photos: Little Theatre of Manchester Presents ARSENIC AND OLD LACE

Little Theatre of Manchester, one of Connecticut's oldest community theatres still in operation, announced today their upcoming production of the beloved dark comedy Arsenic and Old Lace. The hilarious play, believed to be based on an infamous series of boarding house murders in Windsor, CT, runs now through February 20, 2022 at the National Historic Landmark Cheney Hall located at 177 Hartford Road in Manchester, CT.

One of the most popular plays ever produced, Arsenic and Old Lace, is the killer comedy classic. Meet the murderers next door: Abby and Martha Brewster, two sweet elderly sisters who help lonely old men die happy - by poisoning them! Featuring a host of zany characters, this uproarious farce will make you think twice before sharing a glass of wine with your sweet old neighbors.

Co-director Shane William Kegler states, "I love the style of the show. It has a little bit of everything: humor, darkness, and some of the greatest comedic characters in all of theatre..In the time of COVID it's great to have fun entertainment. It's a release allowing us to forget and what's going on in the world for a few hours."

While writing his 1941 comedy, playwright Joseph Kesselring traveled to Windsor, CT to conduct research on the peculiar case of Amy Archer-Gilligan. The owner and operator of a boarding house for the elderly in Windsor, Connecticut, Archer-Gilligan was suspected of killing over 60 of her tenants by poisoning between 1910 and 1916. Her murder spree ended when the sister of a victim alerted The Hartford Courant of her suspicions, leading to Archer-Gilligan's arrest, conviction, and imprisonment in the Connecticut General Hospital for the Insane in Middletown, CT.

The cast, under the co-direction of Shane William Kegler and Billy Winter. Dawn Maselli and Lisa Gamsby play the sweetly murderous Brewster Sisters, with Bobby Schultz and Tony Palmieri rounding out the family. Other cast members include Nick Demetriades, Chris Brooks, Stephen Culjak, Elya Bottiger, Doug Stoyer, Mike Zizka, and Lucas Veo.

The Arsenic and Old Lace tech team includes Jen Rankin (Stage Manager), Drusilla Carter and Stacey Navratil (Prop Design), Rob Williamson (Costume Design), Ron Schallack (Sound Design), Rob MacPherson (Lighting Design), and the LTM Set Crew (Scenic Design).

Arsenic and Old Lace runs Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30pm and Sundays at 2pm. Tickets are $32 for VIP seating in the first six rows and $24 for all remaining seats. There is a $2 per ticket discount for seniors, students, and military. Tickets can be purchased 24/7 by visiting cheneyhall.org or by visiting the box office or calling (860) 647-9824 Monday through Friday from 10am to 5pm. There is ample free parking in the lot adjacent to the theatre.

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