Full of Suspense, Laughter and Surprises!

On Sunday October 20th I had the honor to attend Arsenic and Old Lace at Center Playhouse in downtown Freehold, NJ.  It was directed by Bernice Garfield -Szita.  I found the performance to be dramatic, exciting, suspenseful and filled with lots of laughter and surprises.

The play was about the Brewster dysfunctional family; two elderly sisters who think they have found their calling in "helping" poor lonely gentlemen, their three nephews, one who has an identity crisis, another who is a wanted man and another who seems blind to it all until… well, you have to see it to believe it.

The characters were very believable and all the actors did a great job bringing them to life. The actors were very spontaneous and worked well together.  Three stood out for me. One was Eric McDonough (Jonathon Brewster).  He made me sit on the edge of my chair in suspense not knowing what he would do next.  Arnold Brown (officer Klein) was so upbeat and personable.  I felt his connection to the Brewster ladies was just like an old friend.  And Michael Tota (Dr Einstein) was hilarious!  A charming villain in disguise, he kept me laughing the whole time.

The set was wonderfully put together and the sound system was a perfect 10.  The costumes and makeup were amazingly authentic.  The music during scene changes kept the mood of the show.  I have great admiration for Francesca Alexander, stage manager, who not only kept the play running smoothly, but also surprised me by coming up out of the window seat during the curtain call.  I did not know until the show ended what two parts she played.  Wow, was I surprised!

And then there is Bernice Garfield-Szita who did a great job directing the play.  I applaud all who volunteered for this great production including the actors and those that worked behind the scenes.  You all made this a special positive experience for me.  I also want to thank the New Jersey Natural Gas Company for the donation they provided to the Center Players’ Caring Community Ticket Fund. Without their help I would not have been able to see this fantastic event.

Jill Zwick is a guest blogger for Center Players.

                        **************************
Arsenic and Old Lace opened at Center Playhouse, located at 35 South Street in downtown Freehold, on Friday, October 18th and runs for five weekends through November 17th, with performances on Fridays and Saturdays at 8:00 PM and Sundays at 2:00 PM. Tickets are $25 for Adults and $23 for Seniors & Students and includes gourmet desserts and refreshments. Group rates for parties of ten or more are available. Seating is limited so call the box office at (732) 462-9093 or visit us online at www.CenterPlayers.org to purchase your tickets.