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<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial><SPAN
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style="COLOR: black; mso-bidi-font-style: italic">
<P style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; LINE-HEIGHT: normal; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"
class=MsoNormal align=center><B style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; FONT-SIZE: 12pt">Fine Arts’ ‘Arsenic
and Old Lace’ offers homicide with well-honed humor<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN><?xml:namespace prefix = o ns =
"urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" /><o:p></o:p></SPAN></B></P>
<P style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; LINE-HEIGHT: normal; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"
class=MsoNormal align=center><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; FONT-SIZE: 12pt"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; LINE-HEIGHT: normal; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"
class=MsoNormal align=center><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; COLOR: #1f497d; FONT-SIZE: 12pt">Bob
Abelman<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; LINE-HEIGHT: normal; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"
class=MsoNormal align=center><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; COLOR: #1f497d; FONT-SIZE: 12pt">News-Herald,
Chagrin Valley Times, Solon Times, Geauga Times Courier<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; LINE-HEIGHT: normal; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"
class=MsoNormal align=center><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; COLOR: #1f497d; FONT-SIZE: 12pt">Member,
International Association of Theatre Critics <o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; LINE-HEIGHT: normal; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"
class=MsoNormal align=center><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; FONT-SIZE: 12pt"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; LINE-HEIGHT: normal; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"
class=MsoNormal align=center><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; COLOR: #1f497d; FONT-SIZE: 12pt">This
review will appear in the News-Herald</SPAN><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; FONT-SIZE: 12pt"> on 10/18/13<B
style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><o:p></o:p></B></SPAN></P>
<P style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; LINE-HEIGHT: normal; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"
class=MsoNormal align=center><B style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; FONT-SIZE: 12pt"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></B></P>
<P style="MARGIN-BOTTOM: 0pt; BACKGROUND: white"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'">Great Lakes Theater’s current
production of “Sweeney Todd” is not the only place to find m</SPAN><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; COLOR: #222222; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri">anslaughter
served up with a dose of macabre humor and a side of charm.<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>A delightful rendition of the classic
comedy </SPAN><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; COLOR: black">“Arsenic and Old Lace”
has made its way to the Fine Arts Association stage in Willoughby.</SPAN><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'"><o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN-BOTTOM: 0pt; BACKGROUND: white"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'"><o:p>T</o:p></SPAN><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; COLOR: black">he story features the
two aged Brewster sisters who, in woefully misguided acts of kindness, relieve
lonely men of their lives and bury them in the basement of their old Brooklyn
manor. <o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN-BOTTOM: 0pt; BACKGROUND: white"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; COLOR: black">Their young nephew,
Mortimer, is not only alarmed by their brutal benevolence but concerned that
their brand of crazy is contagious.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</SPAN>After all, his brother Teddy thinks he’s Roosevelt and his other brother
Jonathan is a homicidal maniac on the lam.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</SPAN>Insanity doesn’t just run in his family, he tells his fiancée Elaine, “it
practically gallops.” <o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN-BOTTOM: 0pt; BACKGROUND: white"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'"><o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN-BOTTOM: 0pt; BACKGROUND: white"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'">There is no ignoring the fact
that<SPAN style="COLOR: black"> Joseph Kesselring’s quirky “Arsenic and Old
Lace” has not aged well since it was first produced on Broadway in 1941.<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Dated references abound but it is the
play’s parodic, Addams Family-esque take on the typical American Family that no
longer resonates.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>The play’s
three-act structure also stretches thin the comedy best suited for two, at least
by today’s standards.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN-BOTTOM: 0pt; BACKGROUND: white"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; COLOR: black"><o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="LINE-HEIGHT: normal; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; COLOR: black; FONT-SIZE: 12pt">Now
residing almost exclusively within the realm of community theater, “Arsenic and
Old Lace” is often played big and broad to help shake the dust off its antique
frame.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>This approach can
</SPAN><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; FONT-SIZE: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'">prove
as poisonous as the Brewster sisters’ elderberry wine </SPAN><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; COLOR: black; FONT-SIZE: 12pt">if not
executed with the proper panache.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</SPAN>It can </SPAN><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; FONT-SIZE: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'">call
</SPAN><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; COLOR: black; FONT-SIZE: 12pt">attention
to, rather than distract from, the play’s datedness.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="LINE-HEIGHT: normal; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; COLOR: black; FONT-SIZE: 12pt"><SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"></SPAN><o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN-BOTTOM: 0pt; BACKGROUND: white"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; COLOR: black">Fortunately, this FAA
production has found an effective formula for presentation by embracing
</SPAN><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'">the </SPAN><SPAN>“casual
point of view” that <EM>The New York Times</EM> critic Brooks Atkinson found “so
robustly entertaining” about the original production. <SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN></SPAN><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'">Director James Mango deftly allows the
sisters to be the absurd calm amidst the storm that they have created, while
having the other players play with some restraint. <SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN><o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN-BOTTOM: 0pt; BACKGROUND: white"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'"><o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN-BOTTOM: 0pt; BACKGROUND: white"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; mso-ansi-language: EN" lang=EN>Libby
Siegel Hill and Lois Davis are wonderful as the innocently scheming spinsters,
casually going about their dirty business as if preparing for a church
picnic.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN></SPAN><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'">They are absolutely charming, and
their charm serves as a hilarious counterpoint to the heinous crimes they
commit.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN-BOTTOM: 0pt; BACKGROUND: white"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'"><o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="LINE-HEIGHT: normal; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; FONT-SIZE: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'">Justin
Steck is perfect as Mortimer Brewster.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</SPAN>He allows his character’s calm façade to fade and then collapse under
pressure rather than explode once he discovers what his aunts are up to.<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>His many double-takes are impeccably
timed and with just enough physicality to cause rather than coerce a laugh.<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>He earns many laughs throughout the
production.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="LINE-HEIGHT: normal; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; FONT-SIZE: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="LINE-HEIGHT: normal; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; FONT-SIZE: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'">Similarly,
Greg Gnau as Teddy permits his implicitly funny antics to speak for themselves
rather than force the issue. The same is true for Robert McCoy as Jonathan.<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>McCoy plays everything close to the
vest, which allows his character to be deliciously menacing rather than
outrageously maniacal.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>His
performance is nicely complemented by Jim Hill, whose mad-scientist approach to
Jonathan’s evil sidekick, Dr. Einstein, is often
hilarious.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="LINE-HEIGHT: normal; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; FONT-SIZE: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="LINE-HEIGHT: normal; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; FONT-SIZE: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'">Acting
by the rest of the ensemble is a somewhat imbalanced affair, ranging from stagey
overreacting to underplaying comedic or character developing opportunities.<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>However, these are minor disturbances
given the wonderful core performances that drive this production. <SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN><o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="LINE-HEIGHT: normal; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; FONT-SIZE: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="LINE-HEIGHT: normal; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; FONT-SIZE: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'">Michael
Roesch’s stately manor set design fills the stage and is superb. <SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Its deceptive hominess could have easily
been enhanced with more clutter of charming keepsakes and personal artifacts.
<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>The open space telegraphs the
mayhem about to take place, particularly when JR Simons’ melodramatic lighting
kicks in.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="LINE-HEIGHT: normal; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; FONT-SIZE: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="LINE-HEIGHT: normal; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; FONT-SIZE: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'">All
in all, the Fine Arts Association’s season starts off on a positive note:<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>vintage "Arsenic and Old Lace" done
well.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="LINE-HEIGHT: normal; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; FONT-SIZE: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'"><o:p><EM> </EM></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="LINE-HEIGHT: normal; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; FONT-SIZE: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'"><EM>“Arsenic
and Old Lace” <SPAN style="COLOR: black; mso-bidi-font-style: italic">continues
through October 27 at the Fine Arts Association’s Corning Auditorium in
Willoughby. For information or tickets, which are $20, call 440-951-7500 or
visit <A href=""><B><SPAN
style="COLOR: black; TEXT-DECORATION: none; text-underline: none">www.fineartsassociation.org</SPAN></B></A>.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></EM></SPAN></P>
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