Joseph Kesselring

Joseph Kesselring was an American playwright best known for his play 'Arsenic and Old Lace,' a dark comedy that became a classic in American theater. Born in New York City, Kesselring wrote several other plays, but none achieved the same level of success. 'Arsenic and Old Lace' was adapted into a popular film directed by Frank Capra.

This list of books are ONLY the books that have been ranked on the lists that are aggregated on this site. This is not a comprehensive list of all books by this author.

  1. 1. Arsenic And Old Lace

    Set in the quaint Brooklyn home of the Brewster family, this dark comedy revolves around the seemingly sweet and charitable elderly sisters, Abby and Martha, who have a peculiar hobby of poisoning lonely old men with arsenic-laced elderberry wine. Their nephew, Mortimer, a drama critic, discovers their macabre secret and is thrown into a whirlwind of chaos as he attempts to navigate his family's eccentricities, including his brother who believes he's Theodore Roosevelt and another brother who is a criminal on the run. The play humorously explores themes of madness, murder, and the thin line between sanity and insanity, all while maintaining a light-hearted and farcical tone.