BC3's Pioneer Players stage deadly comedy 'Arsenic and Old Lace'
BUTLER TWP — At Butler County Community College's Succop Theater on Friday and Saturday will be staged the dramatic comedy of poison-serving elderly sisters, a body-burying nephew who believes he's Teddy Roosevelt and a newly engaged nephew trying to make sense of to insanity.
Members of the Pioneer Players — the college's longest-running student club — have been rehearsing since September for their performance of Joseph Kesselring's 1939 play “Arsenic and Old Lace.”
Morgan Alter, of Sarver, portrays the domineering Martha Brewster while Amanda Sgourakis, of Lower Burrell, plays the submissive Abby Brewster — homicidal sisters who lure lonely men to their demise with a sign promising female companionship placed in the window of their Brooklyn home.
The play is “incredibly well-written,” said Larry Stock, director of BC3's Cultural Center who, with Mike Beck, BC3 events specialist, is an adviser to the Pioneer Players. “It's funny. Some of the lines that Martha and Abby have are hysterical.”
Martha and Abby take in old men who are “very lonely,” Alter said, “and are hoping to help them in a way to not feel lonely anymore.” By serving them poisoned homemade elderberry wine.
Jacob Hecht, of Cranberry Township, portrays newly engaged Mortimer Brewster, and Ethan Skinner, of Valencia, Teddy Brewster — each a nephew of Abby and Martha.
Cast members include Mackenzie Elmer and Wolfgang Gaiser, both of Butler; Eric Homa of Renfrew; Shane Denial of Mars; Ashton Huff of Slippery Rock; Jack Baldauff of Gibsonia; Elijah Minteer and Elizabeth Rettig-Seitam, both of Kittanning; and Samantha Tanner of West Sunbury.
WHO: Pioneer Players of Butler County Community CollegeWHAT: “Arsenic and Old Lace”WHEN: 7:30 p.m. Friday and 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. SaturdayWHERE: Succop Theater at BC3TICKETS: $8 for adults and $5 for students, available at bc3.edu/theater, by calling 724-284-8505, or at the door.
