The Helix Highlanders have put on many shows in the past few years, most recently being: “Chess”, “Rumors”, and “Twelve Angry Jurors”. In the 2024-2025 school year, there are three confirmed shows. However, the upcoming show Arsenic and Old Lace is the only known title so far.
“Arsenic and Old Lace” will open on October 23, at 7 PM. To buy tickets, click here.
Arsenic and Old Lace is a comical crime show. It was originally a play written by Joseph Kesselring in 1939, and popularized in 1944 when it got its first movie adaptation. It has had many play adaptations since, but the play at its core stays the same. Interestingly, its lighthearted comedic-drama theme isn’t reflected in the inspiration for this play. While Kesselring was writing “Arsenic and Old Lace”, he traveled to Connecticut to further research court documents relating to Amy Archer-Gilligan (pictured) and related murders.
Amy and her husband opened the Archer Home for Elderly People and Chronic Invalids in 1907. As it is a home for elderly people, deaths are expected. In the first 3 years, there were only 12 reported deaths. However, in the following 6 years, this number skyrocketed to 64. In these years, Amy’s first husband James passed away from a kidney disease. Shortly after, Amy remarried to Michael Gilligan. Alarmingly, he passed away just 3 months later. This 2nd death was cause for much more suspicion than the first, as it was claimed to be caused by “acute bilious attack”, or in other words: stomach problems. Not only this, but Amy inherited his entire estate despite him having 4 adult sons. Despite the suspicion of people close to her, it was a sudden death a few months after her second husband’s death that sparked an investigation.
It was discovered that Amy had been pressuring 61-year-old Franklin Andrews for money just weeks before. Clearly, this was cause for a much more thorough investigation. They further discovered that the deaths of many other residents shortly followed Amy being paid the ‘lifetime care’ fee of $1000. In five different bodies of recently deceased residents, they found evidence of arsenic or strychnine.
Amy was put on trial for the murder of five people, but eventually reduced to one. Not because she didn’t poison at least five people, there was evidence, but it was much easier to convict her of one murder that was uncontestable.
Originally sentenced to death, she was granted a second trial and pleaded insanity. So in 1919, Amy Archer-Gilligan was sentenced to life in prison.
Amy’s story inspired Joseph Kesselring as a young teen, and it went on to influence the ‘murderous old lady’ plotline in “Arsenic and Old Lace”. This play continues to be the perfect balance of comedy and drama, even a century later.
After watching the Helix adaptation of this show, you can now use this interesting story to spice up the car-ride-home commentary!