You will laugh yourself to death. OK, almost to death (so you won't end up in “Panama”). I'm speaking of Heartwood's current production of “Arsenic & Old Lace” at the Poe Theater. The show's opening night, May 2 ended with a standing ovation for its sensational cast. My friends and I laughed till we cried. You will too.

Most of us are all too familiar with the 1944 film version of the play, which starred Cary Grant as Mortimer Brewster.

The cast is pure perfection.

Suzanne Rankin of Matinicus Island and Wiscasset as Abby Brewster, and Nancy Durgin of Wiscasset as Martha Brewster, are divine as the two elderly sisters who accidentally fell into the practice of “soothing” the loneliness of old men by killing them off with their personalized recipe for elderberry wine.

One can imagine the sisters standing over an over-sized punch bowl adding 1 teaspoon of arsenic, 1/2 teaspoon of strychnine and just a pinch of cyanide to each gallon of elderberry wine — just like mischievous, yet well-meaning witches! Because their gentlemen are all of one religious affiliation or another, Abby and Martha perceive what they do as charity.

One show-stopper in this production is Joe McGann of Woolwich, as Teddy Brewster. He plays the beloved brother of the sisters, who believes he is President Teddy Roosevelt. They put him to work in the basement (known as Panama after the Panama Canal) burying the gentlemen, the process that’s called “digging a loch.” McGann's Teddy Brewster is entertaining to the limit with bugle blowing, charging up the staircases (with his imaginary sword unsheathed), and innumerable facial expressions. Gotta love the Teddy.

Enter Chris Davis of Falmouth as Mortimer Brewster, Abby and Martha's theater critic nephew, who accidentally stumbles on his aunts' divine intervention when he lifts the window seat during a visit to the family's Brooklyn, New York home. Davis’ portrayal of someone who has just made a most outlandish and frightening discovery about loved ones is dead on.

Dr. Einstein's pratfall into the window seat box, a.k.a. temporary resting place, was flawlessly executed by Tyson Bailey of Alna who plays the alcoholic plastic surgeon in the employee of the nefarious Jonathan Brewster, (Bill Vaughn of Newcastle). This comedic sinister pair play off of each other beautifully.

Vaughn's mannerism for Jonathan of moving his tongue back and forth (as though it helped him devise each layer of his latest evil), and classic arching of the eyebrows were classic. Perfect for a character that has been made to resemble Boris Karloff due to the poor skills of his drunken surgeon.

These two return to the Brewster home with a “body” of their own that requires a temporary resting place.

Nancy-Grace Dersham of Topsham portrays Mortimer's new fiancee, Elaine Harper, with sparkle and zest.

Stephen Wallace of Newcastle plays the Rev. Dr. Harper, father of Mortimer's fiancee, with ease — must be all of the cookies and tea with the sisters.

And what would a murder comedy be without law enforcement?

Tom Handel of Portland and Anthony Genovese of Lisbon play officers Brophy and Klein, repectively, the beat cops with a well-established friendship with the sisters. They’re completely unaware of the Panama Canal in the basement, and they’ve been on the receiving end of a lot of tea and biscuits.

Kevin Lynch of Haverill, Mass. portrays Officer O'Hara, the playwright wannabe seemingly confined by the seams of his uniform. When he does not check in to the precinct, a search begins for him. Officer Rooney, played by Ron Bouffard of Boothbay Harbor, refers to him as “Shakespeare.”

A clever addition to Coady Robson's Mr. Witherspoon: He suffers from mysophobia, the fear of germs. The character is the representative from Happy Dale Sanitorium, visiting the Brewster home to meet Teddy, whom Mortimer wants to have committed ASAP.

But, again, bringing it all home are the dynamic duo of Midcoast stages, Rankin and Durgin, as beloved by theatergoers who have witnessed their theatrical magic as playwright Joesph Kesselring's Brewster sisters. They will charm and disarm you with their perfect comedic timing and endearing genteel lady mannerisms — and commitment to charity, of course.

In short, they are (wait for it) to die for!

But if you happen to be an elderly gentleman all alone in the world — don't drink the wine!

Griff Braley did a lulu of a job directing this brilliant cast and in his recreation of the Brewster home, the set; Kim Fletcher is the show's makeup artist and Sue Ghoreyeb's costuming is, as they said in the 40s, swell!

Will you love this show as much as I did? No question.

Call the Heartwood box office immediately at 207-563-1373 to reserve your ticket to this production of “Arsenic & Old Lace,” at the Poe Theater, 81 Academy Hill Road, Newcastle.