Paul Adam explains in his director's note in the program that "Arsenic and Old Lace has always been a favorite of his because he enjoys the many characters that grace the stage during the show." I also have a special liking for this humorous play by Joseph Kesselring. It has been around for years and never gets boring. It is special when you see many of your fellow actors and actresses in different roles.

Connie Anderson, who is a favorite of mine, shares the leading female role with Lisa Forsgard. Connie portrays Abby with an aggressive style that is refreshing. Her talented style and manner gives Abby a unique character. The way she walks is reminiscent of an elderly walk, and her facial expressions throughout are very believable, especially when confronted by her sinister nephew Jonathan. Connie's line delivery was first rate. Her character is pivotal and she portrays it beautifully.

Lisa Forsgard is right on the same level as Connie with her gentle portrayal of the somewhat gentler sister. She has a nice stage presence and with Connie they bounced back and forth off each other beautifully, giving outstanding, believable performances as the famous Brewster sisters.

Mark Anderson portrays Teddy, who believes and acts like he is Teddy Roosevelt, President of the US. Mark has some great lines in this show, and if you have ever seen Mark perform before you know that he is about to entertain you with an excellent portrayal. The scenes when he travels up the stairs yelling "CHARGE" are vastly amusing, and he does it quite frequently so you get to chuckle numerous times. His quick wit, along with his delivery of the most ridiculous off-the-wall remarks, is excellent. The scenes that he appears in are crowd pleasers.

Brian Lemieux, as Mortimer, has the dubious task of attempting to cover up for his aunts' actions when they poison elderly religious men who come to their home with elderberry wine and dump them in the cellar — with Teddy stating that they died of yellow fever. Brian's portrayal was excellent as he has many stage movements and confrontations which he handles with ease. His scenes with his bride-to-be are hilarious and the scenes with the sinister brother Jonathan are excellently portrayed.

Jonathan Brewster, the sinister gangster of this crazy family, was so aptly portrayed by the talented Gregory Bonin. His portrait of the thug of the family was excellent. Gregory stays in character throughout this performance and displays his talents as the tough, sinister, uncaring brother. I am so used to seeing him in a musical that it was interesting to see him in a different role. He did not disappoint me. A top-rate and superior performance by a talented actor.

Christopher Kibbe is fun to watch as Dr. Einstein, who is going to operate on Jonathan's face in the morning — which never comes to pass. His stage time with Jonathan is lengthy and he does an excellent portrayal of the nervous doctor who needs a drink before performing surgery.

Bert Cayer, Jr. portrays two roles: the Rev. Dr. Harper at the beginning of the show, and the tough Lt. Rooney at the show's end. His portrayals are both excellent. Maurice Cournoyer is a crowd pleaser as Officer O'Hara, a policeman who wants to be a playwright — in one scene he puts everyone on stage to sleep with his long dissertation of a play he has written.

Rebekah Blanchette plays Elaine, supposed to be marrying Mortimer. She gives us just the right amount of confusing statements about what is going on around her, and she lights up the stage when she and Brian talk about their relationship. Supporting cast members Matt King, Ian Kibbe, and Andrew Leclerc give this production its final polish.

One thing you will notice as you enter the auditorium is the set — it has Fred and Alice Reinhardt's antiques, which are beautiful and add so much to this show. The set design is beautiful and the costumes and lighting are commendable. So take a ride to Theatre Works for a fine production of Arsenic and Old Lace.

The plot revolves around Pseudolus (Mark Anderson), a slave who will do almost anything to gain his freedom. When Pseudolus is left in charge of his owner's young son Hero (Ryan Latour), who has fallen madly in love with a beautiful courtesan, the fun begins. The young boy promises Pseudolus his freedom if he can arrange a marriage before his father returns. Pseudolus agrees — but not even the conniving slave can foresee the tangled web he is about to weave.

Director Connie Anderson has assembled a very talented cast which will have you laughing at this fast-paced, crazy comedy with more twists and turns than you can count. The entire ensemble is outstanding. Mark Anderson, as Pseudolus, commands the stage providing the audience with many laughs. His timing is perfect, as are the other cast members. Mark is surrounded by great talent.

Christopher Kibbe as Senex plays his part to the hilt alongside his wife Domina, played by Lisa Forsgard. The two of them will have you smiling — especially Lisa, who screams at her husband and delivers a standout performance in her Act II solo "A Dirty Old Man." You will be delighted by the wonderful operatic voice of Jessica Roch as Philia, and her lover Hero, played by Ryan Latour. When the two of them take the stage, you are in awe at their talented voices. Beautiful!

Steven Slate does a wonderful job as Hysterium, particularly good in the second act dressed as Philia. His confrontations with Miles Gloriosus, played by a commanding John Pacheco, will delight you. Slate was consistent throughout, with many lines and actions to perform — all handled very well. The reprise of "Lovely" with Pseudolus was one of his highlights.

Joe Casey has you smiling as Erronius, who enters and runs around Rome three times at different intervals throughout the show. I last saw Joe in Two By Two as the lead — he is one talented performer. The part of Lycus was played capably by a newcomer to me, Jamieson Schiff, who grew more comfortable as the show progressed. The Proteans — Ben Christiano, Eric Desnoyers, and Brian Lemieux — provide smooth transitions between scenes while playing dual roles. Great job!

I have to mention the SET. I have seen a lot of sets, but this one was the best Forum set I have ever seen. The colors were delightful to the eye and the decorations wonderfully painted. Mark Anderson and his wife Connie are responsible for the creative set design, and their staff of workers should know that their work did not go unnoticed — at least not by this reviewer.

Musical direction by Katie Estrella and her musicians was quite nice. Costumes, lighting, and spots were very professional. Stage Manager Paul Adam and his crew did a great job keeping the flow going. The whole production is so well presented that you will be doing yourself a disservice if you do not go see it. One of the best local musicals around.

Theatre Works' final show of their 20th season is Neil Simon's "God's Favorite", a funny play based on the Book of Job. The scene takes place at the Benjamin mansion on the North Shore of Long Island in the mid-1970s, where resides a tycoon, his wife, a drunken prodigal son, a pair of kooky twins, and two servants. Then one night a messenger from God enters — with a big G on his sweatshirt — to tell Joe that he is God's favorite and all he needs to do is renounce God. Joe refuses, so a fire is sent to his factory and his home. But amid the seemingly tragic circumstances, this Neil Simon comedy is very funny. Director Bert Cayer casts all eight roles very well and gives the audience a night of hilarity to help them escape from their real lives into this madcap world.

Bert keeps the show in constant motion, moving his cast around the two-story light blue set. The colorful costumes are by Sharon Charette, with set design by Bert and Mark Anderson. His hard-working stage manager, Maureen Mann, and her crew make the set changes with ease.

The two leading actors are excellent in their roles. Richard Concannon gives a tour de force performance in this enormous role of the long-suffering father, Joe — onstage for 79 out of 82 pages of script. He not only delivers a two-and-a-half-page monologue brilliantly with all the necessary emotion, but has great chemistry with the whole ensemble. Richard's transition from the rich man to the decrepit creature in the second act is amazing to behold. He really shines in this demanding role.

Mark Anderson is a hoot as Sidney Lipton, the Jewish messenger from God. He delivers his one-liners with Richard perfectly and gets gales of laughter at almost every one of them. Mark wears a tan Robert Hall raincoat, tan Hush Puppies, and thick-lensed glasses to help create the effect of this nebbish creature who appears magically behind the sofa on his entrances. His scenes with Richard crackle with energy and create the joyous atmosphere needed for this show. Bravo to both of them.

The drunken son David is played by Matt King. He has some funny scenes including one in the opening act when he falls asleep during the monologue, and another where he tells off God who hurls a bolt of lightning at him. But the final scene shows his transition to a more serious son after the suffering of his father. Richard's real-life wife Mary plays Joe's dizzy wife Rose, who wears a mink coat and is more interested in her jewelry than anything else. Mary handles her one-liners very well but shows off her acting strength in the scene where she finally stands up to Joe. The even dumber twins Ben and Sarah are played by Sean Jo. Arcand and Andrea Grondines — they play their parts well, repeating each other's lines while wearing matching robes and slippers. Making their stage debuts are Stanley Eason and Sharon L. Harmon as Morris and Mady, doing a wonderful job in the servant roles. So for a fun-filled night of rollicking Neil Simon comedy, be sure to catch "God's Favorite" to help Theatre Works celebrate the close of their 20th season.