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Audition: Arsenic and Old Lace

AUDITION

Arsenic and Old Lace

By Joseph Kesselring

Directed by Rebecca Gomez

Show Dates:
July 24th - August 9th, 2026
Audition Dates:
  • Saturday, May 30th at 6PM
  • Sunday, May 31st at  2PM

Drama critic Mortimer Brewster’s engagement announcement is upended when he discovers a corpse in his elderly aunts’ window seat. Mortimer rushes to tell Abby and Martha before they stumble upon the body themselves, only to learn that the two old women aren’t just aware of the dead man in their parlor, they killed him! Between his aunts’ penchant for poisoning wine, a brother who thinks he’s Teddy Roosevelt, and another brother using plastic surgery to hide from the police – not to mention Mortimer’s own hesitancy about marriage – it’ll be a miracle if Mortimer makes it to his wedding. Arsenic and Old Lace is a classic black comedy about the only thing more deadly than poison: family.

Audition Requirements

  • No monologue is necessary. The audition will consist of cold readings from the script.
  • A headshot and resume are recommended but not required.
  • Please bring a detailed list of conflicts for the next 3 months.

Roles

Available roles: 3 female, 11 male, Ages listed are intended as playing ages and may be flexible.

  • Abby Brewster (female, late 50s-60s): Sister to Martha and aunt to Mortimer, Teddy, and Jonathan; a model of Victorian propriety who demonstrates “pure kindness and absolute generosity”; with her sister, poisons lonely old men with elderberry wine to help them find peace; slightly more dominant of the two sisters
  • Martha Brewster (female, late 50s-60s): Sister to Abby and aunt to Mortimer, Teddy, and Jonathan; a model of Victorian propriety who demonstrates “pure kindness and absolute generosity”; with her sister, poisons lonely old men with elderberry wine to help them find peace; slightly more reserved of the two sisters
  • Mortimer Brewster (male, late 20s-40s): Brother of Jonathan and Teddy, nephew of Abby and Martha, and fiancé of Elaine; a likeable but cynical drama critic [ROLE REQUIRES STRONG SENSE OF TIMING AND PHYSICAL COMEDY, AS WELL AS MOMENTS OF INTIMACY WITH ACTOR PLAYING ELAINE]
  • Elaine Harper (female, 20s-30s): Daughter of Rev. Dr. Harper and fiancée of Mortimer; “looks surprisingly smart for a minister’s daughter” [ROLE REQUIRES MOMENTS OF INTIMACY WITH ACTOR PLAYING MORTIMER]
  • Teddy Brewster (male, 40s): Brother of Mortimer and Jonathan and nephew of Abby and Martha; believes he is Teddy Roosevelt
  • Jonathan Brewster (male, 40s): Brother of Mortimer and Teddy and nephew of Abby and Martha; “something sinister about the man – something that brings a slight chill in his presence…in his walk, in his bearing, and his strange resemblance to Boris Karloff”
  • Dr. Einstein (male, 40s+): German plastic surgeon and sidekick to Jonathan; “somewhat ratty in appearance…lives in a pleasant haze of alcohol…something about him that suggest the unfrocked priest”; speaks with a German accent
  • Officer Brophy (male, 20s+): good-natured local beat cop; partner to Klein
  • Officer Klein (male, 20s+): good-natured local beat cop; partner to Brophy
  • Officer O’Hara (male, 30s+): A self-proclaimed playwright who has temporarily been on the police force for 12 years; an animated storyteller
  • *The Rev. Dr. Harper (male, 50s+): Father of Elaine and neighbor to Abby and Martha; local minister whose sermons are “not so much sermons as friendly talks”
  • *Mr. Gibbs (male, 50s+): An older and somewhat gruff gentleman looking for a room to rent
  • *Lieutenant Rooney (male, 40s+): “A very tough, driving, dominating officer”
  • *Mr. Witherspoon (male, 60s+): Superintendent of Happy Dale Sanitarium; “an elderly, tight-lipped disciplinarian”
    *Indicates a cameo role that may be doubled