Open Space Theatre to stage ‘Arsenic and Old Lace’ today

Open Space Theatre will stage the 8th show of the play ‘Arsenic and Old Lace’ today at 5:00pm at the Nilima Ibrahim Auditorium of Bangladesh Mahila Samity. The 9th staging of the play will be at 4:00pm tomorrow at the same place.

‘Arsenic and Old Lace’ is a farcical black comedy. M Arifur Rahman has directed the 1939 play of Joseph Kesselring in Bangla.

The play is an adaptation of the American film ‘Arsenic and Old Lace’ produced by Lindsay and Crouse and directed by Bretaigne Windust, which was opened on Broadway at the Fulton Theatre on January 10, 1941.

The story of ‘Arsenic and Old Lace’ revolves around the Brewster family, descended from the Mayflower settlers but now composed of maniacs, most of them homicidal.

The main character of the play, Mortimer Brewster is a drama critic. Brewster had to deal with his crazy, murderous family, local police in Brooklyn, New York as he debates whether to go through with his recent promise to marry he loves, Elaine Harper, who lives next door and is the daughter of the local minister.