Arsenic and Old Lace

• Genre: Drama; farcical dark comedy
• Originally Published: 1941
• Reading Level/Interest: Adult/College
• Structure/Length: 3 acts; approx. 96; approx. 2 hours, 44 minutes on audio
• Protagonist and Central Conflict: When the murderous misdeeds of two spinster sisters, Abby and Martha Brewster, are discovered by their nephew Mortimer, laughable misunderstandings and chaos ensue.
• Potential Sensitivity Issues: Outdated and insensitive portrayals of mental health conditions

Joseph Kesselring, Author

• Bio: 1902-1967; American playwright; taught voice and directed productions at Bethel College in Kansas before working in amateur theater in Niagara, New York and beginning a freelance career in playwriting; honored by the National Arts Club with the establishment of an award in his name (the Joseph Kesselring Prize; 1980) to support rising playwrights
• Other Works: There's Wisdom in Women (1935); “Cross-Town” (1937); Four Twelves are 48 (1951)

CENTRAL THEMES connected and noted throughout this Teaching Unit:

• Family Loyalty Versus Independence
• The Absurd Comedy of Contradictions
• The Endurance and Risks of Love

STUDY OBJECTIVES: In accomplishing the components of this Unit, students will:

• Develop an understanding of the cultural and historical contexts that incite Mortimer’s conflict.
• Analyze paired texts and other brief resources to make connections via the text’s themes of Family Loyalty Versus Independence and The Absurd Comedy of Contradictions.
• Plan and construct a script that conveys dark comedy based on text details.