The Farmington Players Open Season With Classic Comedy ARSENIC & OLD LACE 9/26th

The Brewster sisters love to murder old men and bury their bodies in the basement. That zany premise sets the stage for the Farmington Players season opener, the farcical black comedy Arsenic and Old Lace by Joseph Kesselring. The show runs September 26th to October 18th at the Farmington Players Barn. Reserved seats are available at www.farmingtonplayers.org and at the box office (248) 553-2955.

BLACK COMEDY

As the old women perfect their deadly hobby, their nephew Mortimer Brewster (David Galido of Novi) pays a visit, discovering a body stashed in a window seat-and the game is on for a show rich in irony, where you can't help but root for the killers.

Kristi Schwartz of Canton Township makes her directorial debut captaining a show she first "fell in love with" during a high school acting class. "I'm attracted to the juxtaposition of "good vs. evil" in this show," says Schwartz. "Being a good girl who always follows the rules, I wanted to direct a black comedy where I could explore that dark side."

Insanity runs in the family in this classic play that premiered on Broadway in 1941 and later became a popular film directed by Frank Capra. In the Farmington Players version, Cynthia Tupper of Farmington Hills and Mary Ann Tweedie of Novi shine as the spinster Aunts Abby and Martha, all too happy to dispose of lonely old men with a few sips of elderberry wine laced with poison.

CRAZY CHARACTERS

Their live-in nephew Teddy (Dan Muldoon of Madison Heights) prances around convinced he's President "Theodore Roosevelt," even supervising the digging of the Panama Canal. Charging up the stairs blasting his bugle, Muldoon creates a whimsical portrayal of the 26th President.

The craziness intensifies when the creepy third nephew Jonathan pops in -- a Boris-Karloff -looking serial killer on the run played by Guy Copland of Berkley. He's hiding from police with his sidekick Dr. Einstein (Gary Weinstein of Farmington Hills). Copland nails his part as the criminally insane bad guy everyone loves to hate, while Weinstein does the same, digging into his bag of comic tricks to make Einstein a lively character.

TALENTED CAST

Schwartz admits she's fortunate to be blessed with a "talented cast and crew." She admires how her leading man Galido skillfully plays the "straight man" Mortimer, who discovers the bodies in the basement, covers it up from "clueless cops" and calls off his wedding, because he fears insanity may just be a family trait.

And so it is.

FIRST OF THE SEASON

Arsenic & Old Lace (sponsored by Mall, Malisow & Cooney, P.C.) is the first of four compelling comedies you will see this year at the Farmington Players Barn. The season also includes Leading Ladies (Auditions September 13th), Miracle on South Division Street and How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying. You'll be able to enjoy "Opening Night Afterglows" for the first night of each production. Make sure to "like" the "The Farmington Players Barn Theater" Facebok page and see www.farmingtonplayers.org for more details.

TICKETS

Season ticket holders can save money and catch all four exciting shows for just $60.

Reserved Seats are available at both www.farmingtonplayers.org and the box office at 248-553-2955. Single Shows are as follows:

• Adults: $16

• Students: $2 off any performance

• New Senior Pricing: $2 off any performance

• Thrifty Thursday: $2 off the adult price for everyone ONLY on: Thursday, October 16

• Group Discount: $2 off any show with a group of ten or more people [Must be arranged through the box office, not online]

LOCATION

The Farmington Players Barn is located at 32332 W. 12 Mile Road, Farmington Hills Michigan 48334. It's the big white barn on the north side of 12 mile between Orchard Lake and Farmington Rd.

SPONSOR:

Arsenic & Old Lace is Sponsored by Mall, Malisow and Cooney, P.C.

ABOUT THE FARMINGTON PLAYERS:

You can find the Farmington Players at www.farmingtonplayers.org and also on Facebook (The Farmington Players Barn Theater). The Barn began as an off-shoot of the American Association of University Women. Their first production, The Torchbearers, was performed at a local church. After performing in various city and educational locations, the Farmington Players moved into an old dairy barn located on the site of their present facility on West Twelve Mile Road.

Initially, productions were staged downstairs on a dirt floor. Over the years, improvements to the original Barn transformed it into a more finished space, with the theater itself eventually moving upstairs into a traditional and finished setting.

Since 1953, the Farmington Players have staged more than 199 different musicals, dramas, mysteries and comedies, all as a community theater with 100% volunteer membership.

People from Farmington, Farmington Hills and beyond have come to recognize the group as a true community resource. Since the completion of its state-of-the-art facility in 2003, the Farmington Players Barn Theater has expanded its mission, serving as the site for city-sponsored events such as youth theater camps in the summer, concerts with groups as varied as Blackthorn and the Detroit Symphony Orchestra, and as a meeting place for various groups.

The Farmington Players have been reinvesting in The Barn over the years to enhance the patrons' experience. In 2013, partly funded by 50/50 raffle proceeds, the theater installed a new stage floor complete with hydraulics and a trap door.

To post a comment, you must register and login.