“Arsenic and Lace” Ushers in New Season at Klagenfurt City Theater
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The Stadttheater Klagenfurt is launching its new season with the premiere of “Arsenic and Lace,” a darkly comedic Broadway play by Joseph Kesselring that debuted in 1941 and was later adapted into a 1944 film. The story centers on the Brewster sisters, whose seemingly idyllic home hides a chilling secret.
A Comedy with Current Resonance
Set in September 1941, as World War II raged in Europe while America remained at peace, the play explores the fragility of that peace and questions whether the pursuit of an idyllic life is often a facade. Director Peter Wittenberg and dramaturg Hans Mrak have incorporated contemporary political themes into their Klagenfurt production.
Specifically, the production references the Greenland annexation proposals made by former American President Donald Trump. However, Wittenberg emphasized that the play remains fundamentally a comedy: “You can laugh about it and you don’t have to think about the social superstructure with every sentence. It’s fun, but the trigger point is, so to speak, a very current one.”
Why Do We Root for Murderesses?
Petra Morzé and Julia Stemberger star as the Brewster sisters, bringing familiar faces from film and television to the Klagenfurt stage. Despite their shocking actions—having poisoned twelve lonely men—the sisters are portrayed as surprisingly endearing, prompting the question of why audiences might find themselves sympathizing with them.
Julia Stemberger explained that the play’s charm is deliberate: “People are led astray because the ladies are very charming and you don’t see them having any scruples.” Petra Morzé added that, sadly, there are real-world parallels to the play’s dark themes, noting that there are “enough examples in Austria that are frighteningly monstrous” when considering instances of real-life tragedy.
A Bitterly Evil Comedy
Director Peter Wittenberg believes Joseph Kesselring’s play functions as a pointed social commentary: “With such a naturalness that the viewer, and I include myself, succumbs to it. And I believe that is exactly what is desired. That one then thinks, where do I actually agree with that? Actually, it says, you shouldn’t kill.”
