West Valley Arts Brings ARSENIC AND OLD LACE To The Stage With Socially Distanced Seating

West Valley Arts will return to the stage with Arsenic and Old Lace in time to celebrate Fall and Halloween. Arsenic and Old Lace, a dark comedy, runs October 1-26, 2020 at Harman Theatre. "Our inaugural production of Footloose was forced to close after only four performances because of COVID-19, so we can't wait to share this production with the community in a safe and socially distanced way," stated Andrew Wallentine, West Valley City's Arts and Culture Division Manager.

Arsenic and Old Lace takes place in the Brooklyn home of spinster sisters Abby and Martha Brewster. Their nephew Mortimer adores his aunts and believes they rent out rooms to lonely, older gentlemen, until one day he finds a dead body in the window seat. This begins a strange series of events that include Mortimer's two brothers, Teddy, who believes he is Teddy Roosevelt, and Jonathan, who has had plastic surgery to look like Boris Karloff. Throw Mortimer's fiancée Elaine and several police officers in the mix, and the audience will die laughing.

Written by Joseph Kesselring, Arsenic and Old Lace opened on Broadway, with Boris Karloff in the role of Jonathan, on January 10, 1941 and ran for 1,444 performances. The film version starring Cary Grant, and directed by Frank Capra, was released in 1944.

This production is directed by Josh Richardson, featuring Tara Berrett as Abby Brewster, Catherine Bohman as Martha Brewster, Clayton Barney as Mortimer Brewster, Zac Freeman as Teddy Brewster, and Mike Brown as Jonathan Brewster. Costumes are designed by Kelsey Nichols, with set design by Jason Baldwin, lighting design by Sam Sims, sound design by Trenton Thiede, and production management by Kia Armstrong.

WVA wants theatre guests to feel comfortable attending the production and are taking measures to ensure the health and safety of those who attend. Theatre seating is limited to 25% capacity, with approximately 6' between designated seating groups situated on every other row. Some of the additional efforts being made include: all patrons are required to wear a mask while in the building, sanitation stations are located throughout the lobby, and theatre and lobby areas will be sanitized between each performance.

"It is a thrill for me to direct on a stage I've performed on dozens of times. It is a unique situation to direct a show during a pandemic, with so many extra precautions in place. But we are grateful for the opportunity to bring this comedy to life for the community in a time when laughter and the ability to bring people together is extremely important," Richardson commented.

Through a generous Shop in Utah grant, WVA is able to offer half-price tickets to all performances of Arsenic and Old Lace. When purchasing tickets, use the promo code ArsenicShopUT to receive the discount.

Tickets for Arsenic and Old Lace are only available online at www.wvcarts.org. Performances will be held October 1-26, 2020 on Monday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday evenings at 7:30 p.m. with Saturday matinees at 2:00 p.m. Regular ticket prices are $20 for adults and $10 for youth (ages 5-12). No children under five will be allowed in the theatre. All patrons are required to wear masks while in the building. Harman Theatre is located at 3333 South Decker Lake Drive, West Valley City, Utah.

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