THEATER REVIEW: ‘ARSENIC AND OLD LACE’ : Showing Its Age : Some of the acting was sheer poison. However, the main problem lies in dated material.

“Arsenic and Old Lace” has long been regarded as a close to foolproof play. As evidence, one need look no further than the countless high school productions mounted through the years, with few complaints about youthful thespians portraying the batty, elderly Brewster sisters and their equally out-of-kilter kin.

It would be tempting to suggest that the current production by members of Thousand Oaks’ Performing Arts Guild could finally put an end to the play’s appeal. But, while this version (with an all-adult cast) leaves much to be desired, “Arsenic” may simply be dying of old age.

Much of the acting at Sunday night’s performance was less than adept, with flubbed lines, missed cues, long pauses (especially deadly in a farce), poorly attempted accents and amateurish readings running through the show like varicose veins. Most of these problems were with non-principals, though, and the situations and dialogue almost hold up, despite all, thanks to the durable plot, colorfully drawn characters and the acting in most of the leading roles.

But references that were topical and very funny when the play debuted in 1941 simply baffle modern audiences who can barely remember Gerald Ford. What are they to make of Theodore Roosevelt’s Cabinet, “Helzapoppin,” rumble seats, and Dame Judith Anderson’s tragic roles?

A running gag based on a character’s resemblance to Boris Karloff must have been much funnier 50 years ago, when the horror-film star created the part on Broadway, or even a quarter-century ago, when the actor was still appearing in low-budget monster movies.

Patricia Fair and Nan Stark portray the Brewster sisters, the nicest women you would ever want to meet--so nice, in fact, that as the play begins they have put 12 men out of their misery with poisoned elderberry wine.

Allan J. Favish and Rebecca Haines play romantic leads Mortimer Brewster, a drama critic who hates the theater, and Elaine Harper, a minister’s daughter, with some funny physical interplay. And Michael Jordan and Jim Diderrich (both last seen in the Classics in the Park production of “A Comedy of Errors,” which Jordan directed) bring hammy flair to the parts of evil nephew Jonathan Brewster and his henchman, Dr. Einstein.

The uncredited set decoration makes good use of the Thousand Oaks Arts Council Center’s stage, and the costumes, also uncredited, recall the era nicely. In short, the show is amusing enough if you’re of a certain age, you are relatively undemanding and live within a few minutes of the theater. Otherwise, you might as well wait until your son or daughter appears in a student production.

* WHERE AND WHEN: “Arsenic and Old Lace” plays Fridays through Sundays, Aug. 24-27 and Aug. 31-Sept. 2 at the Arts Council Center, 482 Greenmeadow Drive in Thousand Oaks. Friday and Saturday performances are at 8 p.m; Sundays at 7 p.m. General admission is $7; $6 for students and seniors. For information and reservations, call (805) 499-4355.