"I feel like an old regular. John (Shearin) has invited me here several times. In a way, it's like coming home," said "Arsenic and Old Lace" director Walter Schoen.

Shearin is the artistic director of East Carolina University's School of Theatre and Dance. He is responsible for selecting the plays, casts and directors for all the ECU theater productions.

Greg Eans/The Daily Reflector (ENLARGE)

Gregory Funaro, left, plays Mortimer Brewster in 'Arsenic and Old Lace' which will be performed at the Turnage Theatre in Washington, N.C., through July 19.

Schoen is the chairman of Theater and Dance at the University of Richmond in Virginia, where he's been since 1991.

ECU's production of "Arsenic and Old Lace" runs through July 19 at the Turnage Theater in Washington, N.C. It is the second of three ECU summer theater productions.

Last year, Schoen directed the ECU summer production of "Barefoot in the Park" at McGinnis Theater.

"Arsenic and Old Lace," however, will be staged at the Turnage Theater while McGinnis receives some much-needed repairs.

The Turnage recently reopened after sitting empty for more than three decades. A multimillion-dollar refurbishment finished last fall.

"Arsenic and Old Lace" was written by American playwright Joseph Kesselring in 1939 and is best known for its film adaptation starring Cary Grant.

The story revolves around two elderly Brooklyn sisters, Abby and Martha Brewster, who are known for their philanthropic actions within their community.

Unfortunately, their charity includes poisoning old men who come to their home looking for lodging. Assisting them, albeit unknowingly, with their crimes is their mentally challenged nephew, Teddy. His delusions make him think he's Teddy Roosevelt and digs what he believes is the Panama Canal in the basement. The old women use the holes as graves for those they've poisoned with a mixture of elderberry wine laced with arsenic.

Matters in the Brewster home get complicated when a second nephew — theater critic Mortimer Brewster — discovers the murders, and a third nephew, Jonathan Brewster, appears after having just escaped from a mental institution.

"'Arsenic and Old Lace' is a straight play, meaning that there is no singing or dancing in the production," Schoen said.

With a cast of 14 people, it's a pretty large production, especially for a space the size of the Turnage. "We'll be filling that stage, definitely," Schoen said.

Prior to visiting ECU this summer, Schoen opened a production of "The Glass Menagerie" by Tennessee Williams in Saratov, Russia.

"We started rehearsals in May and opened the show in June on the banks of the Volga River," he said.

He also has another production, "The Sly Fox," being performed in Russia.

Contact Kelley Kirk-Swindell at 329-9596 or kkirkswindell@coxnc.com.