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Arsenic and Old Lace
After this weekend, Jenny Stertz will be out of a part-time job.
Not that she minds.
“When you look at nine hours a week of practice, probably four more working on the set and at least two hours of prep work, it was kind of like a job,” said Stertz, director of Arsenic and Old Lace. “But a fun job.”
The cast and audience certainly appeared to be having fun Thursday night during the first of two performances. Every ticket for both sessions had been distributed long beforehand.
The cast was assembled two months earlier as Stertz prepared for her senior dramatic productions recital. She earned two credit hours through directing the play and meeting weekly with speech faculty member Jeremy Vegter.
Recruiting the cast and crew proved both a blessing and a hardship for Stertz. Arsenic and Old Lace required an odd gender distribution—10 men and three women.
“I was nervous about that, because getting guys to try out can be difficult,” Stertz said. “When it came time for tryouts, we had exactly 10.”
But, only four students volunteered to be part of the stage crew. That lack of manpower led to a rather busy afternoon Thursday, when the final pieces of wood trim were stained and attached … one hour before the doors opened.
When the bright lights came on, however, the wood was dry and no other noticeable glitches marred the performance.
“During practice, the most difficult thing was trying not to laugh,” said senior Matthew George, who played Mortimer Brewster, one of the male lead characters. “It’s the funniest play. There are so many good lines, you can’t stop laughing until you’ve practiced so much that they get old.”
George, taking part in his fourth college dramatic production, said he appreciated Stertz’s diligence.
“Jenny was an awesome director,” George said. “She knew what she wanted done. If she didn’t see it, she’d let us know.”
Stertz said being stern didn’t come naturally.
“I was terrified at the start,” Stertz said. “The leadership aspect scared me. I’m kind of shy.”
Overcoming natural shyness didn’t appear to be a problem for George, the kindly but murderous aunts (Laureen Eckola and Kristina Anderson), Mortimer’s oddball brothers (Chip Herbert and Michael Whitteberry) , or any of the other cast members.
“I was given a lot of people to work with who were either very experienced or willing to try,” Stertz said. “I was blessed.”
--Posted by Andrew Call, 11-14-08
Arsenic and Old Lace -- Nov. 13-14, 2008
Arsenic and Old Lace? Huh? What on earth is that? To the theatrically deprived (or perhaps just uncultured), Arsenic and Old Lace may sound like some sort of strange recipe you’d find in your grandmother’s attic. It’s actually a slide-splitting American comedy coming soon to a Fine Arts Hall near you.
Jenny Stertz (right), who is producing and directing Arsenic and Old Lace for her dramatic productions senior recital, absolutely loves the play and jumped at the opportunity to produce it.
“I was surprised at how relatively unknown it is on campus, but it’s hilarious, zany, and well-written,” Stertz said.
The plot surrounds Abby and Martha Brewster, two charming old women who believe they’re demonstrating charity to lonely elderly men by poisoning them. Things spiral out of control, however, when the two women’s nephews (Mortimer and Jonathan Brewster) enter the picture with agendas of their own.
Rehearsals for the production began September 9, the day after the final tryout. Since then, Stertz and the cast have been working diligently with movements on stage and characterization. They have now ditched their scripts to work completely from memory.
Matt George, a senior Social Studies Education major who plays Mortimer, has been impressed with how well the cast has come together.
“It’s an awesome cast,” George said. “Everyone really fits their part and we’ve been able to feed off each other very well. We have a pretty balanced group, so the younger actors are able to learn from the more seasoned actors.”
Arsenic and Old Lace was last performed at Maranatha in April of 2004 (below, left).
Laureen Eckola, a sophomore English Education major playing Abby, has enjoyed the challenge of being in her first MBBC production.
“I’ve been out of drama for a couple years so it’s nice to be back doing something I love,” Eckola said. “There are a lot more expectations as far as projection, staying in character, and just going above and beyond.”
George said he finds playing Mortimer to be something that comes surprisingly natural.
“I feel like Mortimer is a lot like myself,” he said. “I had a similar role in high school, but this is the biggest performance I’ve ever had. There’s more pressure . . . but it’s not a very difficult part to play.”
If you still aren’t sure whether to attend, Stertz said, come anyway.
“It’s a great date—you can bring someone and not have to talk to them the whole time!,” Stertz said. “If you don’t come, you’re missing out on a great time. Plus, you get to see (cast member) Willie Nelson fat.”
Mark your calendars for November 13-14 at 7 p.m., and come prepared to laugh!
--Posted by Eric Johnson, 10-10-08