Arsenic and Old Lace
Saturday, July 21, 2012 at 12:55PM What a difference a half-century can make!
I recently performed in a production of the classic comedy "Arsenic and Old Lace." The role I played, that of Dr. Herman Einstein, was deliciously portrayed in the 1944 movie of the same name by Peter Lorre. It's a great character role that requires some sort of German or Slavic accent. That's evident by the way the lines are written. For instance, my character’s traveling companion (and serial murderer) is named Johnny. But the script always refers to him as "Chonny."
I relished the opportunity to play such a rich, complex character that had a litany of funny lines throughout the play.
Roll the clock back 50 years. I was then a senior in high school and I snagged the lead role of Mortimer in the same play. Mortimer was played by Cary Grant in the movie version. So it is sobering to realize that I have gone from Cary Grant to Peter Lorre in a mere 50 years!