Joseph Otto Kesselring (21 July 1902 - 5 November 1967) was an American writer and playwright known best for his play Arsenic and Old Lace. Born to German parents in New York City in 1902, Joseph Kesselring went on to teach vocal music at Bethel College in North Newton, Kansas. After two years of teaching, Kesselring left teaching for the vaudeville stage. He began working in 1933 as a freelance playwright. He produced 12 plays, of which only Arsenic and Old Lace is notable. Kesselring died in Kingston, New York. In 1980, the National Arts Club created the Joseph Kesselring Prize for up-and-coming playwrights. Among the notable playwrights to have won this prize are Tony Kushner, Anna Deavere Smith, and David Auburn. The prize was funded by Kesselring's widow, Charlotte.
