Youngstown State University President Bill Johnson becomes actor Bill Johnson for University Theatre’s production of “Arsenic & Old Lace.”

Johnson is part of the cast for the classic stage comedy by Joseph Kesselring, which opens Friday for a two-weekend run.

Theater critic Mortimer Brewster announces to his spinster aunts that he’s going to marry the woman who lives next door, but he discovers the aunts have a bigger surprise — they poison lonely old men as acts of mercy. Further complications arise as Mortimer must deal with a brother who thinks he is Teddy Roosevelt and another murderous brother who returns home following plastic surgery to hide from the police.

The play ran for more than 1,400 performances in its original Broadway run from 1941 to 1944, and it spawned a 1944 film version starring Cary Grant, multiple TV adaptations and a 1986 Broadway revival.

The rest of the cast include Eric Ballard, Jr., Youngstown; Emma Barborak, Hermitage, Pa.; Chloe Camacho, Bristolville; Natalie Ciccone, Austintown; Samantha Cox, Niles; Noah Dudai, New Middletown; Nicholas Figiel, Jamestown, Pa.; Crystal Faith Fisher, Mingo Junction; Lincoln Hall, Cortland; Lex McCaughtry, Lowellville; Anthony Mudryk, Struthers; Benjamin Podnar, Wampum, Pa.; Helena Snyder, Austintown; Jessica Sprague, Norwalk; Adriana Rosario, Youngstown, and Ilse Zijlstra, Antwerp.

Todd Dicken is the director, associate professor Katherine Garlick is costume designer, Jonathan Zelezniak is lighting supervisor and Gunnar Carwile is scenic carpenter.

The student crew includes Anna Airhart, Nick Atwood, Gianna D’Alesandro, Liam Donnelly, Alida Dufrene, Brenda Hernandez, Natalie Horvath, Nikta Hosseini, Layla Munholand, Nathaniel Perry, Skyla Phillips, Karianne Rateno, Sarah Robles, Bryan Schink, Sophie Schuetz, Alex Shina, Justine Snowden, Manny Tolbert, Jr., Gerald Walker, Cadence Watson, Emma Barborak, Chloe Camacho, Noah Dudai, Bed Podnar, Helena Snyder, Jessica Sprague, Adriana Rosario and Ilse Ziljstra.

Show times are 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday and 2 p.m. Sunday through Oct. 12 at Bliss Hall’s Ford Theater.

Tickets are $18.50 for adults, $14.50 for senior citizens and non-YSU students, $10.50 for YSU faculty and staff, $6.50 for children ages 18 and younger and free for YSU students with a valid ID and are available online at www.ysu.tix.com and by calling 330-941-3105.