Arsenic and Old Lace Dinner Theater - February 17-18, 2011

Various ministries of Tri-City Baptist Church (TBC) have come together for the first Community Dinner Theater, hosted by International Baptist College. The purpose of this union was to provide family-friendly entertainment, create opportunities for mentoring and learning theater history and skills, demonstrate a biblical model of theater arts for the Christian, and make the building accessible so the church family can build relationships with our community. After months of practice, the cast was ready to perform. They put on two performances: one on Thursday, February 17 and a dinner theater production on Friday, February 18. Tickets quickly sold out for the dinner theater and both shows were well attended.

The play was Joseph Kesselring’s Arsenic and Old Lace, a farcical comedy. Shortly after asking his girlfriend Elaine to marry him, Mortimer Brewster discovers that his two seemingly harmless aunts have been poisoning lonely old men as acts of “charity”. Later that evening, Mortimer’s violent brother Jonathan returns home, adding to the tension—and the humor. The cast was comprised of people from various TBC ministries, including several TCA teachers, pastors, and IBC students. On Friday, the play was preceded by a dinner of chicken alfredo and a vegetable medley with cheesecake for dessert. Volunteers from Tri-City prepared and served the meal. Michelle Hernandez decorated the tables with teapots, lace doilies, and old bottles.

Pastor and Mrs. Dave Stertzbach directed the play. Pastor Stertzbach is the music pastor at TBC and Mrs. Stertzbach is the executive assistant at IBC. In the past seventeen years, the Stertzbachs have directed thirteen productions, including a previous production of Arsenic and Old Lace. Pastor Stertzbach also played Dr. Einstein in college. Pastor Stertzbach chose Arsenic and Old Lace because it is so recognized by people in the community and it was a sure-fire success. He said, “The script is so funny that we were laughing at the first read-through! And I wanted folks to see that this community theater was for all the Tri-City entities – church, IBC, TCA, CFA – not just the kids.”

Marcia Gammon and Joyce Farmer were cast as the two crazy aunts while Jimmy Dornan portrayed their nephew Mortimer and Susannah Dornan played Mortimer’s fiancée, Elaine. Patrick Meyers was Teddy Brewster, Mortimer’s brother, who thought he was President Teddy Roosevelt. The third Brewster brother, Jonathan, was played by Sam Bullock with Mike Good as Dr. Einstein, Jonathan’s companion. Bobby Oswald took the roles of Dr. Harper (the Brewsters’ neighbor and Elaine’s father) and Lieutenant Rooney. There were three police officers besides the Lieutenant: Officer Brophy, played by Jay Stone, Officer Klein, portrayed by Adam Mott, and Officer O’Hara, played by Eric Alexander. Pastor Jim Sproul was cast as Mr. Gibbs, an older gentleman who nearly became one of the victims of Martha and Abby. Pastor Mark Maxwell played Mr. Witherspoon, the director of Happy Dale Sanitarium where Mortimer hoped to send Teddy. Finally, Caleb Schultz played the part of the victims Mr. Hoskins and Mr. Spenalzo.

The first Community Theater production was a success and set a high standard for the next one.

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