Last weekend, the Gryphon Players had audiences on the edge of their seats with
Last weekend, the Gryphon Players had audiences on the edge of their seats with their production of “Arsenic and Old Lace”. The classic story stars Mortimer Brewster (Hunter Brady), a drama critic living in Brooklyn with his elderly aunts, Abby (Gus Pendergast) and Martha (Annie Devine). After proposing to his sweetheart, Elaine (Carolyn Caruso), Mortimer’s life starts to unravel when he learns his beloved aunts are murdering lonely old men by offering them elderberry wine laced with arsenic.
The rest of his family is pretty mad, too: brother Teddy (Asha Perry ’14) spends his time digging up the basement of the family home — an excellent place to stash the bodies — and brother Jonathan (Shristhi Avasthi ’14) has undergone plastic surgery under general anesthesia to alter his appearance in hopes of evading arrest.
“This was my favorite production thus far at Holy Child,” said junior Annie Devine, who admitted it was a challenge to keep a straight face through the comedic scenes. Senior Hunter Brady agreed. “This production, like others I’ve been a part of, was amazing,” she said. “Every day, I walked out of rehearsal with more knowledge in regards to theatre and performance.”
Balancing the topic of murder with a comedic delivery was something students worked hard to accomplish, said the show’s director Kim Calhoun. “Our ensemble cast was fully committed to the physical comedy, pace, and excitement of the piece,” she said. “I could not have been happier with the results. It was a hilarious play, with a fabulous cast, and quite simply a great deal of fun for the entire family.”
Rounding out the cast were Kit Devine as Officer O’Hara; Maria Dombrov as Dr. Einstein; Tess Flanagan as Officer Brophy; Lindsey Houlihan as Mr. Witherspoon; Alexandra Jordan as Mr. Gibbs; Caitlin Panarella as Dr. Harper; Olivia Rogliano as Officer Klein; and Bridget Smith as Lieutenant Rooney.
