by Ronda Payne
Special to the Langley Advance
Murder with a side of laughter is on the menu at Theatre in the Grove’s third production to be hosted in Langley.
Artistic director Reg Parks noted staging Arsenic and Old Lace has brought a solid cast and crew together to update and revitalize the classic production.
“Well I think because it is such a unique piece,” Parks said of why it was a good choice for dinner theatre. “It was written in the middle of World War II and it speaks kind of to the temperament of people, they wanted to laugh… There’s a sense of macabre to it.”
Parks believes Theatre in the Grove (which was born from Maple Ridge’s long-standing Theatre in the Country) is the only traditional-styled dinner theatre in the area. Guests can purchase tickets for the meal and play or just the play if they wish to come later. He feels this performance lends itself particularly well to the dinner theatre experience.
“It’s a full roast beef buffet with mashed potatoes, veggies and dessert served at your table in intermission. There’s also gluten free and vegetarian options,” he explained. “When [audience members] do dinner community theatre it’s very easy – people are coming into my [space] for dinner. It’s not your standard come, sneak in, watch the show, applaud and leave at the end. We get to know our audience. It’s a unique entertainment event and a unique entertainment company that continues to provide great stories, great company and a sense of community.”
Parks saw Maple Ridge and Langley as the right communities to revisit the classic tale of death and humour and knew director Nicola Prigge – a Trinity Western Graduate now in her 20s – would bring fresh eyes to the piece along with the ability to tell the story in a new way. It was a different genre from anything she’d dealt with before.
“She found a really unique voice in it for herself and for the cast,” Parks noted. “There’s a sense of female empowerment that she pulls out of it that wouldn’t have been present in the day. Plus she’s added some nice musical touches in between the acts.”
When asked about the murdering aunts and how the casting of those roles went, Parks lights up a bit, growing enthused about what he’s seen so far.
“The aunts are the uniquest characters in the show in the sense that they play these little old ladies who genuinely feel they are doing the community service as they help these old men off to the beyond,” he said. “They found themselves feeling like they were doing a good deed. “They do it with such a gentleness and a sweetness that you almost want to root for them.”
Aunt Abby is played by veteran performer Kathleen Hatley and she is joined by Joanne Giampa as Aunt Martha. Parks notes the casting of the aunts was very important to the play but was also very fun.
“There’s a whole sense that their value system has been dictated through their community and their church, so what they are doing is so counter to it, it is what makes it entertaining,” he said. “Although they agree on a lot, they are not just echoes of each other. There’s lots of unique fun layers.”
Another cast member is a friend of Parks.
“He hasn’t been on the stage since high school,” said Parks. “But he’s tearing it up as Teddy Brewster thinking he’s Teddy Roosevelt.”
All-in-all, Parks believes the cast is having a great time putting on the play given the diversity of their backgrounds, ages and approaches.
Arsenic and Old Lace by Theatre in the Grove is at Northwest Baptist Church and runs Thursday through Saturday from Oct. 19 to 28 with dinner at 6:30 p.m. and showtime at 7:30 p.m. There is a Saturday matinee on Oct. 21. For more information visit the website.
