Mars Hill Academy to present "Arsenic and Old Lace"

MASON, OH -- Two murderous old ladies, a Theodore Roosevelt impersonator, and a Boris Karloff look-alike. The Brewsters are one of the most well-respected families in Brooklyn, but is there more than meets the eye? 

Find out as a cast of Mars Hill Academy Rhetoric School students bring to life the farcical and macabre tale of “Arsenic and Old Lace” by Joseph Kesserling, April 7-9.

“Full of unexpected twists and turns, witty repartee, and middle-of-the-night mishaps, ‘Arsenic and Old Lace’ is a classic comedy for all ages,” said Headmaster Mike McKenna, who is making his directing debut at MHA.

Mars Hill Academy senior Peyton Hutchinson of Cincinnati stars as Mortimer Brewster alongside freshman Molly Hicks of Cincinnati as Elaine Harper.

Kind-hearted Mortimer Brewster has just gotten engaged to the girl next door, Elaine Harper. When he visits his sweet spinster aunts to share the news, Mortimer unwittingly opens the lid on buried family secrets. The two seemingly harmless ladies have been poisoning lonely old men with their special elderberry wine as an act of charity.

The murderous but charitable aunts are played by senior Anna Tipton of Loveland (left) and sophomore Lydia Cunningham of Liberty Twp.

Hilarity ensues as one visitor after another stops by, and the Brewsters must try to protect the skeletons in the cellar. Mortimer warns Elaine, “Insanity runs in my family. It practically gallops.”

Cast members include:

• Cara Admiraal of Mason; 
• Case Anderson of Maineville; 
• Lydia Cunningham of Liberty Twp.; 
• Zeke Forster of Clarksville; 
• Molly Hicks of Cincinnati; 
• Jeremiah Hoffman of Mason; 
• Kaiya Knodel of Springboro; 
• Bethany Kuechly of West Chester Twp.; 
• Grace Lewandowski of Pleasant Plain; 
• Sadie Miller of Maineville; 
• Noelle Min of Mason; 
• Elijah Mullucey of Lebanon; 
• Peyton Hutchinson of Cincinnati; 
• Evan Sheldon of Fairfield; 
• Nicholas Sheldon of Fairfield; 
• Rachel Tipton of Loveland; 
• and Janie Wehmeyer of Cincinnati.

Performances are: 

• April 7 (Thursday) at 7 p.m.
• April 8 (Friday) at 7 p.m.
• April 9 (Saturday) Matinee at 2 p.m. and evening show at 7 p.m.

The students will be performing at Parrish Auditorium, 1601 University Blvd., in Hamilton. Tickets are available from seatyourself.biz/marshill and are $18 for premium seats and $15 for select. All seats are assigned.

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