Arsenic and Young Lace: All An Act

Friday, Jun. 14

Are you in the mood for a good laugh? Or perhaps you want an entertaining storyline? If you answered yes to either question (or both), then All An Act has you covered.

All An Act is partnering with the Footlights Theatre Program to bring you a comedic classic — Arsenic and Old Lace. If you're not familiar with this tale, it includes drama, a false celebrity impersonator, and homicidal family members — just to name a few of the quirky details that spring to life (or fail to) here.

It's always exciting to see fresh faces on stage, and it shows that today's youth are still invested in and working hard to make live productions a major success. "I'm really excited for the community to see how hard these students work. I've been working on the youth productions for about 4 years, and we have such an amazing pool of young actors in the Erie community who deserve to have their talents shown," emphasizes Michael Hipwell, one of the co-directors for this production.

 "Aside from the production team, all cast members are either high schoolers or students who will be graduating this school year," informs Hipwell. KC McCloskey is the other director of Arsenic and Old Lace, and McCloskey is no stranger to theater. She's also directing a Footlights Theatre Program production of Disney's Newsies.

When asked what audiences can expect to see from the show, Hipwell says, "Be prepared to laugh. This show is most definitely a comedy, and our actors are making it so funny."

In addition to providing entertainment, All An Act is giving back to Erie. One dollar of every ticket sold will benefit Community Shelter Services, which provides hope, help, and shelter to Erie's homeless.

McCloskey and Hipwell have banded together as they prepare to show off all the incredible talent that Erie's youth have to offer. Now all you have to do is show up and let all the comedic magic unfold. — Kalli Oberlander

Fridays and Saturdays, Jun. 14 - 22 at 7:30 p.m., Sunday, Jun. 23 at 3 p.m. // 652 W. 17 St. // $12 adults, $10 students and seniors (55+), $5 children (6-11) // allanact.net