Arsenic and Old Lace is a black comedy set in 1940s America. It follows the drama critic Mortimer Brewster, who worries about his mentally ill brother Teddy and just proposes to his girlfriend, when he finds out that his textbook fairytale old aunts are secretly senior slayers! Further chaos ensues when his other insane brother, Jonathan, returns. Can he handle it all? Mortimer grapples with the idea that maybe he too will lose his mind.

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Cast

Ryan Witter (Mortimer Brewster) is a third-year Linguistics, Anthropology, Gender and Sexuality Studies, and Middle Eastern Studies major. He’s previously appeared on stage as Greg (Red Rex), Clarence/York/Derby (Richard III), and Vincentio/Curtis (Taming of the Shrew), all roles in which he said most of his lines correctly. He’s also worked on As Y’all Like It (Co-Director), Troilus and Cressida (Director), The Play That Goes Wrong (Props Designer), and Arcadia (Assistant Props). If he had to hide a body he’d dump it in Lake Michigan.

Christine Hignite (Elaine Harper) is a first-year (undecided but potentially) English and TAPS major. This is her second UT show and she is so grateful to have gotten to know everyone in the cast and crew! Previously, she performed in UT’s Pericles and the TAPS Pro Show Happy Birthday Mars Rover. She’s been acting for most of her life, but her other hobbies include writing, singing, watching bad movies, and doing improv with Occam’s Razor. She would hide a body at Area 51 because anyone who ends up looking around there is probably focusing on something more important.

Patrick Gaghan (Teddy Brewster) has been slowly turning into Teddy Roosevelt over the past 5 weeks. He was a first-year physics major and music minor, but now all he seems to talk about is the Panama Canal. This past winter he was in the UT SPSC “Antigone: The Burden of Burial” (Creon), and in past years he has been in “Pippin” (Pippin), “Urinetown” (Bobby Strong), and “Into the woods” (Jack). He is very grateful to the directors and the whole production team for making this show possible. Also he would likely hide a body underneath San Juan Hill.

Calister Boyd (Jonathan Brewster) is a first-year intending to major in Psychology and Sociology. This is his first show with UT theater, but he has been doing theater for several years. Some of his previous roles include Hades in Hadestown, Black Stache in Peter and the Starcatcher, and Petruchio in The Taming of the Shrew. He promises he’s not too evil in real life. If he had to hide a body he’d buy a coffin.

Griffin Bonnin Jones (Abby Brewster) is a fourth-year history and creative writing major. They have acted in a respectable number of UT productions, including Romeo and Juliet (Balthazar), Twelfth Night (Captain/Priest/Servant), Richard III (Anne), A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Quince/Egeus), and Cactus Flower (Igor). You may also like to know that they were an assistant stage manager on Muscle Memory, and directed The Arsonists. They hope that you like the show, instead of disliking it. They would hide a body in plain sight.

Kati Langille (Martha Brewster) is a 4th year who loves her cat Ernie and is really excited to be in this show! She is really thankful to all her friends and castmates and crewmembers and directors who made this possible!

Max Beck (Dr. Einstein) is a first-year prospective Philosophy and Public Policy major. His previous credits include Furious Hamster in Radio Play Disaster, The Great Prognosticator in The Wong Kids in the Secret of the Space Chupacabra Go!, Old Man Strong in Urinetown, Nigel in Matilda, and Dr. Esquire in We’re Live. He hopes you don’t find his German accent too terrible. If he had to hide a body, he would pretend it’s a wax figure and donate it to a museum.

Julia Morales (Dr. Harper & Lieutenant Rooney) is a fourth-year History, Religious Studies, and Near Eastern Language and Culture major. Her Ut credits include Marian: a True Tale of Robin Hood (Lucy), Macbeth in Space (Lennox), Dead Fun Society (Nicole Cantrell), Muscle Memory (Violet), If/Then (Elena), and Our Town (Mr. Webb/Director). Her Cup of Theatre Credits include Arms and the Man (Louka), and The Physicists (Nurse Monika/Marta Boll). She is currently working on the 2026 TAPS pro-show Dream Delivery Service as well. She’s super excited to perform in her last show at UChicago and hope all of you enjoy. She would hide a body in the ISAC bone lab (which yes does exist and is a real place).

Himanshu Sharma (Mr. Gibbs & Officer O’Hara) is a second-year History major. He’s previously performed for UT in Our Town (Sam Craig) and Pericles (Lysimachus/Lychorida/Simonides). He’s super grateful to be with such a funny cast and crew. He’s also completing what he’s termed the “UT Grand Slam” (performing in Theater East, Theater West, and the FXK in one year).

Joshua Federman (Officer Klein) is a second-year Math major and Chinese minor. With UT, he has performed in We’re Live (Ky) and Pericles (Ensemble). He would hide a body in the Wisconsin Cheese Caves.

Gavin Robalino (Officer Brophy) is a third-year CHD major and RDI minor. With UT, he’s previously acted in We’re Live. He hopes you enjoy the show :)

Lavanya Gupta (Mr. Witherspoon) is a second year physical chemistry major. Her UT credits include Pericles (Gower), We’re Live! (Minnie) and 2 T-24s! She would hide a dead body next to the skeleton in the FourCast labs because she thinks it looks very lonely and could use a friend

Violet Gerson (Mr. Hoskins & Mr. Spenalzo) is a first year chemistry and public policy double major (probably). She previously worked on The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee (Assistant Stage Manager). If she had to choose a place to hide the bodies (ie. herself) she would choose the catwalk at her high school!

Production Staff

Nate LePelley (Director) Nate LePelley is a third-year Cognitive Science and Sociology major. He has previously worked on Strings Attached (Assistant Stage Manager), Much Ado About Nothing (Stage Manager), Troilus and Cressida (Co-Stage Manager), Cactus Flower (Music Lover), and We’re Live (Writer/Director/a bunch of other things). He is so thankful for the friends and family and that came to watch the show, they are the best. If he had to hide a body he would probably hide it somewhere on the beautifully done set. Don’t try to check the validity of this claim.

Daniel Olmo (Production Manager) is a fourth-year Computer Science major. In UT, he has worked on Troilus and Cressida (Assistant Production Manager), 35mm: A Musical Exhibition (Assistant Production Manager) and Red Rex (Production Manager). This quarter, he is also performing in the TAPS Pro Show, Dream Delivery Service (Father Shadow/Puppeteer), and hopes that you come to see his mainstage debut May 14-17 in Theater East! Daniel would successfully hide a body in the second-to-last stall of the bathroom in Cathey…

Sara Romai (Stage Manager) is a third year Political Science and Economics major. In UT her credits include Much Ado About Nothing (APM), If/Then (ASM), Cactus Flower (SM), We’re Live (PM), and Antigone (PM). She would hide a body in the booth (who knows where).

Aneth Rodriguez (Scenic Designer) is a fourth-year Public Policy and Psychology double-major. In UT, she has worked in Pericles (Production Manager), Our Town (Scenic/Props Designer), Cactus Flower (Scenic Designer), The Play That Goes Wrong (Co-Scenic Designer), Much Ado About Nothing (Asst. Stage Manager), Dead Fun Society (Asst. Director), and Macbeth in Space (Asst. Scenic Designer). If she absolutely must hide one, she would hide a body in the stacks????

Josiah Rubio (Scenic Deisgner)

Elizabeth Goldthorpe (Costume Designer) is a first year. She was the costumes assistant for the 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee. This is her first time designing a show and she has greatly enjoyed it. In response to the company question, she can only say the library.

C Shannon (Props Designer) is a first-year aspiring Physics major. They previously worked on The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee (Assistant Props Designer). They would hide a body by burying it vertically in an area with lots of endangered flora, and burying a smaller animal on top of it.

Kaden Kaden (Lighting Designer, Assistant Scenic Designer) is a third-year History and Linguistics major. They have previously worked on Spelling Bee (Costume Designer), Cactus Flower (Associate Lighting Designer) Troilus and Cressida (Sound Designer), The Play That Goes Wrong (Lighting Designer); Strings Attached (Assistant Costume and Assistant Lighting Designer); Much Ado About Nothing (Assistant Scenic Designer); Arcadia & Happy Birthday Mars Rover (TAPS Pro-Shows) (Lighting Programmer and Board Operator); Muscle Memory (Lighting Designer); and nine Theater [24]s (Lighting/Sound Designer). They would hide a body in one of the side alcoves of the FXK booth.

Will Rehmus (Sound Designer) is a third-year Astrophysics major and TAPS minor. They have worked on many UT productions in the past as a lighting designer, sound designer, scenic designer, and stage manager. They would hide a body under the stage in the FXK. They hope you enjoy the show :)

Maddie Mathes (Assistant Director)

Quentin Mills (Assistant Production Manager)

Violet Gerson (Assistant Stage Manager) is a first year chemistry and public policy double major (probably). She previously worked on The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee (Assistant Stage Manager). If she had to choose a place to hide the bodies (ie. herself) she would choose the catwalk at her high school!

Lavanya Gupta (Assistant Stage Manager) is a second year physical chemistry major. Her UT credits include Pericles (Gower), We’re Live! (Minnie) and 2 T-24s! She would hide a dead body next to the skeleton in the FourCast labs because she thinks it looks very lonely and could use a friend

Sonny Smythe (Assistant Lighting Designer) is a first year Physics and Comp. Sci. major. This is his first UT project and he still hasn’t figured out where the closest water fountain is. He would hide a body in your basement with the other eleven that he’s already put there to make it an even dozen.

Brooklyn Myers (Assistant Sound Designer) Brooklyn is a third year Biology, History, and Gender and Sexuality Studies student. She has absolutely loved UT and is so happy she got back into theatre. She has done the enigmatic workshop We’re Live (Sound Design) and the beautiful Pericles (Sound Design), along with recently designing for her first T24. She would hide a body in the woods of rural Indiana, because she loves the woods of rural Indiana and no one would look there. She doesn’t think she would ever need to hide a body though. If she killed someone it would be very warranted and everyone would support her decision.

August Petry (UT Committee Liaison)