BWW Reviews: ARSENIC AND OLD LACE at Chaffin's Barn

Arsenic and Old Lace, Joseph Kesselring's iconic stage comedy cum murder mystery that plays on the pop culture aspects of life in 1940s Brooklyn, has been around so long - and produced so often - that you might, at first blush, consider it just another title from theater's storied past, one that seems dated and rather unpretentiously charming, yet uncompelling.

But you would be wrong - particularly given the sparkling revival now onstage at Nashville's Chaffin's Barn Dinner Theatre, directed by nine-time First Night Award winner (and 2015 First Night Honoree) Martha Wilkinson, complete with a star-studded cast led by Linda Speir and Joy Tilley Perryman.

Onstage through October 11, Chaffin's revival of Arsenic and Old Lace offers audiences a pleasant theatrical diversion that whisks them away to 1940s Brooklyn, a time in which two elderly ladies offer tea and sympathy - make that, elderberry wine and sympathy - to a varied collection of lonely souls who find themselves guests at the Brewster family tea table. Long a staple of local theaters, it's worth noting that Arsenic and Old Lace still offers some genuinely funny moments, underscored by a skewering of popular culture that ensures the script's relevance in the 21st century.

While there's nothing particularly innovative in Wilkinson's production - why tamper with the genteel comedy's structure or tone, given its sincere timelessness? - she nonetheless breathes new life into the script through the efforts of her capable ensemble of actors, who somehow manage to eclipse the vivid memories of the film version (starring Cary Grant, Josephine Hull, Raymond Massey and Peter Lorre), as well as recollections of the scores of revivals that have played out on local stages over the past oh-so-many years.

While on the surface, Kesselring's script seems more genteel than biting, once you see beneath the surface and realize the playwright's skilled treatment of the public's fascination with celebrity and infamy fueled by media coverage and pop culture idolatry, you gain a real sense of the play's still-relevant message. Sure, if you're so inclined, Arsenic and Old Lace is just good old-fashioned fun, but it you give it more thought you can see Kesselring's intelligent take on issues that are just as compelling today as when his play debuted.

Speir and Perryman play daft sisters Abby and Martha Brewster with a blend of charm and finesse that comes with plenty of onstage experience and sharp focus. Wilkinson has surrounded Speir and Perryman with a bevy of talented actors who approach their characters with the same zeal as the play's leading ladies, ensuring that audiences are entertained throughout the two hours of onstage hijinks which walk a fine line between nail-biting suspense and laughter-infused comedy.

Brett Cantrell plays theater critic Mortimer Brewster with a comic physicality that is sure to please and he delivers his character's clever quips and saucy bon mots with more than a little charm, while Corinne Bupp looks every inch the period beauty as Elaine Harper, the girl-next-door who has won Mortimer's steely heart.

Barn favorite Warren Gore is ideally cast as Teddy Brewster, lending a schizophrenic delight to the proceeding, while Everett Tarlton, Daniel Bissell (who's also impressive as Elaine's father, the priest at the Episcopal Church next door to the Brewster home) and Flynt Foster are altogether believable as the cops patrolling the beat in Brooklyn, while Mike Scott makes the most of his brief time onstage as two different guests of the Brewster sisters.

Clearly, credit must be given to Charlie Winton and Bradley Moore who together light a fire under their castmates and deliver performances which propel the onstage action into high gear with each entrance. Winton is delightful as Dr. Einstein, playing the role created on film by Peter Lorre with barely contained glee. Yet it's Moore's fresh take on the murderous Jonathan Brewster that truly elevates this production of Arsenic and Old Lace into something well worth seeing: He manages to evoke the spirit of Boris Karloff with ease, while underscoring his performance with an artful blend of menace and charm that is surprisingly original.

• Arsenic and Old Lace. By Joseph Kesselring. Directed by Martha Wilkson. Produced by Janie and John Chaffin. Presented by Chaffin's Barn Dinner Theatre, Nashville. Through October 11. For reservations, call (615) 646-9977; for further details, go to www.dinnertheatre.com. Running time: 2 hours, 15 minutes (with two 10-minute intermissions).

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