From sweet elderly aunts to frantic family members, Buchholz High School students take on characters far removed from their own lives in “Arsenic and Old Lace.” The production challenges performers to step into a different era and age group.
“Arsenic and Old Lace” follows Mortimer Brewster, a theater critic whose visit to his aunts’ Brooklyn home takes an unexpected turn when he discovers a dead body hidden in the house.
As Mortimer attempts to uncover the truth, he learns that his seemingly sweet aunts have been poisoning lonely men as an act of charity. Throughout the play, other family members and unexpected visitors complicate Mortimer’s efforts to manage the situation and maintain his personal life.
The production follows a student-selected musical from last season (“Six”) and represents a shift in both genre and historical setting. Drama instructor Shannon Singley, 38, said she chose the play to broaden students’ exposure to theatrical styles and structures.
“This show isn’t done a lot, so I wanted to balance ‘Six,’ that was super popular, with something they don’t know as well,” Singley said.
“Arsenic and Old Lace” relies on fast-paced dialogue and physical comedy rooted in mid-20th century social norms. Singley said the show’s time period has required students to adjust their performance choices and understand references that differ from modern comedy.
Rehearsals began in November 2025 and continued through multiple school breaks. Because the stage was shared with other school events, the set had to be dismantled and rebuilt multiple times, affecting the rehearsal timeline.
In addition to faculty guidance, the production is supported by student leadership. Taiden Roberts, an 18-year-old BHS senior, serves as one of the student co-directors.
Roberts previously directed a musical and said she wanted experience directing a play, which requires different rehearsal priorities.
“I wanted to get both sides of it, because I might look into directing positions through community theater once I’m out of high school,” Roberts said.
Casting and early rehearsals focused on character development shaped by the play’s setting, Roberts said. Many roles are written as significantly older than the student performers portraying them, requiring careful attention to movement, posture and vocal choices.
The cast’s chemistry was developed gradually rather than through a single defining moment. Early rehearsals were held in a classroom instead of onstage, which required students to adapt blocking and continue refining scenes in a smaller space.
“Everyone still worked really hard to keep making progress,” Roberts said.
Quinn Horowitz, an 18-year-old BHS senior who plays Mortimer, said the role requires sustained focus and coordination. As the main character, Mortimer often has several things happening at once, and Horowitz said keeping track of all of them during a scene is the hardest part.
The production includes students with a range of experience levels, from first-time performers to seniors preparing for graduation. Horowitz said the rehearsal process reflects a shared commitment across the cast.
“We don’t get paid — we do this because we love it,” Horowitz said. “That’s the magic of doing shows.”
Buchholz High School’s production of “Arsenic and Old Lace” opens Jan. 22 and runs from Jan. 22 to Jan. 24 and Jan. 29 to Jan. 31.
Contact Aaliyah Evertz at aevertz@alligator.org. Follow her on X @aaliyahevertz1.
Aaliyah is a general assignment reporter for The Avenue. She's a second-year journalism student in her first semester at The Alligator. In her free time, she loves to bake, read and also write for Her Campus UFL.
