About this Event
Laughter, mystery, and a touch of M**der☠️… Arsenic and Old Lace is coming to Dharma College! Join Untitled Theater Company from April 9th - 13th for this dark comedy classic, where two sweet old ladies have a sinister secret. Will their nephew uncover the truth before it’s too late? Find out at Dharma College (2222 Harold Way, Berkeley, CA 94704). Tickets: ? 🎭 Secure your seat soon—before they vanish...
Key Details
📍 Location: Dharma College. 2222 Harold Way, Berkeley, CA.
🎟️ General Admission: 20$ (10$ on preview night)
🎟️ Student Tickets (w/ ID): 15$ (7$ on preview night) - USE CODE "UCB_STUDENT"
🪪 Identification: Venue security requires ID for all attendants.
📅 Show Dates/Times:
- Wednesday, April 9th. 8pm Preview.
- Thursday, April 10th. 8pm Performance.
- Friday, April 11th. 8pm Performance.
- Saturday, April 12th. 2pm Matinée.
- Saturday, April 12th. 8pm Performance.
- Sunday, April 13th. 2pm Matinée.
🕰️ 2 hour runtime with a 15 minute intermission.
🎭 This production contains depictions of violence, prop dead bodies, and language that may not be suitable for children. Additionally, it features themes and content not generally considered appropriate for younger audiences. Viewer discretion is advised.
Important Notes:
- Late seating is not permitted, due to the unique performance space.
- Productions will start at exactly 2:00pm & 8:00pm and we will not be following "Berkeley Time."
- There is a discounted preview performance on Wednesday, April 9th at 8:00pm.
- Accessibility accommodations are available—please contact us in advance for assistance.
Step into a world where comedic mayhem collides with clandestine mischief—join us for Arsenic and Old Lace and revel in an evening of laughter, surprises, and delightfully devilish twists. Tickets won’t last long—reserve yours now!
About Arsenic and Old Lace:
"In 1941, New Yorkers were looking for some entertainment to take their minds off of the war in Europe and the growing fear that America would be pulled into it. On January 10, Broadway gave them exactly what they were looking for in the form of a hilarious new play by Joseph Kesselring, Arsenic and Old Lace. The play became an immediate critical and popular success, running for 1,444 performances. It also became a hit in England in 1942 as theatergoers who were suffering through London post-blitz lined up for tickets. In 1944, Hollywood produced a film version staring Cary Grant that became a huge box office success.
The play, a clever combination of the farcical and the macabre, centers on two elderly sisters who are famous in their Brooklyn neighborhood for their numerous acts of charity. Unfortunately, however, their charity includes poisoning lonely old men who come to their home looking for lodging. The two women are assisted in their crimes by their mentally challenged nephew who believes he is Teddy Roosevelt and who frequently blasts a bugle and yells "charge" as he bounds up the stairs. Matters get complicated when a second nephew, a theater critic, discovers the murders and a third nephew appears after having just escaped from a mental institution. In his adroit mixture of comedy and mayhem, Kesselring satirizes the charitable impulse as he pokes fun at the conventions of the theater." —University of Vermont, n.d.
About the Playwright:
"Only one of Kesselring’s efforts met with any real success with critics and audiences. When Arsenic and Old Lace premiered on Broadway in 1941, theatre critic Brooks Atkinson was frankly surprised by the quality of the script: 'Nothing in Mr. Kesselring’s record has prepared us for the humor and ingenuity of Arsenic and Old Lace*. He wrote* There’s Wisdom in Women in 1935 and Cross Town in 1937. But his M**der drama is compact with plot and comic situation. . . . The lines are bright. The story is mad and unhackneyed. Although the scene is always on the verge of macabre and the atmosphere is horribly ominous, Mr. Kesselring does not have to stoop to clutching hands, pistol shots or lethal screams to get his effects. He has written a M**der play as legitimate as farce-comedy.’”
— The New York Times, January 11, 1941
About Untitled Theater:
Initially, this project was intended as an experiment—to better understand the demand for opportunities in theater on campus—when we noticed growing audition numbers over the past few semesters and a demand for a greater variety of performance opportunities. On October 27th, our first production, Shakespeare in the Park: All’s Fair Love and War, opened on the north stairs of the Valley Life and Sciences Building. We were overwhelmed by the support from the theater community and the larger Berkeley community as a whole, and many inquired about future opportunities within the organization. Since then, we welcomed nine wonderful new board members who spearhead our sold-out second production, A Serious Attempt: Three Vaudevilles by Anton Chekhov, on a rooftop overlooking the bay, as well as Debut of the Absurd—a double-header of absurdist one-acts at the First Church in Berkeley, a US registed national historic landmark. In future seasons, we are committed to keeping with our mission statement of building a playground for actors in a flexible and accessible manner.
Mission Statement:
To expand the range of opportunities in the UC Berkeley theater community while embracing diverse experiences and time commitments by breaking traditional boundaries. We are committed to fostering an environment where students can learn from one another and develop their skills in a supportive and dynamic setting.
Event Venue & Nearby Stays
Dharma College, 2222 Harold Way, Berkeley, United States
