Joseph Kesselring

About the Author

Joseph Kesselring was an American playwright renowned for his sharp wit and dark humor, particularly in the realm of black comedy. Born in 1902 in New York City, he pursued a career in theater after studying music and drama, eventually crafting plays that blended farce with macabre themes. His breakthrough came with the iconic Arsenic and Old Lace (Acting Edition for Theater Productions), a 1941 Broadway hit that satirized family dysfunction and euthanasia through the antics of two sweet elderly aunts who poison lonely men with arsenic-laced elderberry wine. Adapted into a beloved film by Frank Capra, the play solidified Kesselring's legacy as a master of theatrical absurdity. Throughout his career, he explored the absurdities of human nature, leaving an indelible mark on American stage comedy until his death in 1967.