
DATE: Sunday, October 26, 1997              TAG: 9710240202

SECTION: CAROLINA COAST          PAGE: 22   EDITION: FINAL 

COLUMN: AFTER DARK 

SOURCE: BY JOHN HARPER 

                                            LENGTH:   48 lines

THEATRE OF DARE PRESENTS ``ARSENIC AND OLD LACE''

THE THEATRE OF DARE kicks off its season in fine style Thursday with the ageless ``Arsenic and Old Lace.''

Joseph Kesselring's 1941 black comedy revolves around two dear, well-meaning old ladies who invite old men to their Brooklyn home. The ladies poison the men with elderberry wine. And then they have their mad brother, who believes the corpses are yellow-fever victims, bury the bodies in the cellar.

The play is populated with a cast of 15 colorful characters who engage in a frenzy of activity.

``This show has been voted one of the 10 best comedies ever,'' says director Tom Charity.

Among the Theatre of Dare players for the show are five Manteo High School students: Ashley Bourne, Ross Bryant, Todd Davis, Lindel Jones and Shawn Grogan.

Playing the maiden aunts are Helen Pfaff and Jenny Warne, who portrays Dame Coleman in ``The Lost Colony.''

Other ``Lost Colony'' actors in the cast include Don Bridge, Lance Culpepper and Scott Tanner. Tanner portrays Teddy (as in Roosevelt).

Culpepper plays Mortimer, the almost sane drama critic nephew. Mortimer gets off one of the play's best lines: ``Insanity runs in my family. It practically gallops.''

Returning to the Theatre of Dare stage for this show is David Neal as Mr. Witherspoon, the director of Happy Dale sanitarium.

Other returnees include Dave Jones as the evil brother Jonathan and Mike Hunter as the minister next door.

One bit of advice to theater goers: The laughs come fast and furious in this play. Don't laugh too long or you may miss the next funny line. ILLUSTRATION: Graphic

HOW TO SEE IT

What: ``Arsenic and Old Lace,'' a Theatre of Dare production

When: Oct. 30-31, Nov. 1, 7 and 8 at 8 p.m., Nov. 9 at 2 p.m.

Where: Manteo Middle School

Tickets: $9 at the door, $8 in advance, $4 for students. Advance

tickets on sale at Gray's in Kitty Hawk, the Yarn Corner in Kill

Devil Hills, Quality Inn Sea Oatel in Nags Head and Manteo

Booksellers in Manteo

Call: 441-3088