Actors rehearse a scene from “Arsenic and Old Lace” at The Acting Company in Yuba City. The dark comedy opens Sept. 18 and runs through Oct. 11. Photo courtesy of The Acting Company

YUBA CITY, CA (MPG) - The Acting Company will open its production of “Arsenic and Old Lace” Sept. 18, bringing Joseph Kesselring’s dark comedy to its Yuba City stage for a four-weekend run.

The production, directed by Megan Shearer in her directorial debut, follows drama critic Mortimer Brewster as he discovers his seemingly harmless aunts, Abby and Martha Brewster, have been hiding a deadly secret.

The discovery pulls Mortimer into an increasingly complicated night involving his aunts, his fiancée Elaine Harper, a long-lost brother and the police.

“I am delighted to be bringing this beloved American comedy back to The Acting Company,” Shearer said. “There is something timeless about the way this play balances genuinely dark subject matter with absolute absurdity.”

Carol Anne Lopez plays Abby Brewster alongside Foster Campbell-McManus as Martha Brewster. Hans Knightley takes the role of Mortimer Brewster, with Amanda Stentzel playing Elaine Harper.

“It has been such a joy bringing these characters and their wonderfully dysfunctional family to life,” Shearer said.

Kesselring’s “Arsenic and Old Lace” premiered on Broadway in 1941 and became one of the era’s most successful comedies. The story combines murder, mistaken identities, family secrets and farce as Mortimer tries to make sense of what he has discovered inside his family’s home.

“Arsenic and Old Lace” runs Sept. 18 through Oct. 11 at The Acting Company, 815 B St., Yuba City.

Performances begin at 7 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays, with Sunday matinees at 2:30 p.m.

Tickets and additional information are available at http://actingcompany.org.