Theatre Review - You Can't Take It With You

You Can't Take It With You

Written by George S. Kaufman and Moss Hart

Directed by Sanford Robbins

Where:  Thompson Theatre at the Roselle Center for the Arts

(University of Delaware, Newark, DE)

When:  Sunday, September 24, 2pm

Photo by The REP

I have some experience with You Can't Take It With You as at least two decades ago I saw a production with my high school class.  Twenty-plus years, however, left me with little memory of George S. Kaufman and Moss Hart's play except that I remembered a kooky family -- the Sycamores -- was front and center.  Before the University of Delaware's Resident Ensemble Players' production even begins, the lovely lived-in set design by Hugh Landwehr keys us in to the oddities that are to come.  From a large xylophone to a Native American feathered bust to a snake-filled cage, we're aware of the types of characters that inhabit this place.  

The patriarch of the family and the grounded center in the midst of the wackadoodle antics occurring within the 1936 New York City home is Martin (guest actor James Black).  Martin was your average Joe Businessman for decades, but woke up one day and decided that he wasn't happy, leaving his career behind and spending his time attending college commencement addresses.  While that may seem odd, it's nothing compared to the other residents of Martin's home.  His adult daughter Penelope and her husband Paul (REP members Elizabeth Heflin and Stephen Pelinski) spend their days, respectively, working on a variety of poorly written unfinished scripts and building an assortment of firecrackers in the house's basement.  Their daughter Essie (frequent guest Erin Partin) fancies herself a dancer, but she's just plain horrible despite the praises of her husband Ed (guest Lenny Banovez) who spends his time making masks of historical figures, learning new xylophone pieces, and creating just about any pamphlet he can think of on his printing press.  And in the midst of these kooky Sycamores is Penelope and Paul's other daughter Alice (guest Sara J. Griffin) who has a solid head on her shoulders.  Her love for her family is palpable, but she finds herself concerned about how to introduce her folks to her new boyfriend Tony Kirby (REP artist Michael Gotch), the son of a rich entrepreneur who has fallen head over heels for Alice.

This cultural dichotomy is the set-up for much of the humor in You Can't Take It With You and director Sanford Robbins gamely keeps the very large cast honed in on mining laughs from this eighty year-old play.  Sure, some of the jokes may fall a bit flat when viewed from a modern lens, but Robbins doesn't play things tongue in cheek here.  Instead, he embraces the age of the manuscript and tells his fantastic ensemble to play things without the slightest sense of irony.

And that aforementioned ensemble is quite winning.  Kudos to the REP for allowing a wide array of guest actors to really take the ball and roll with this one, freshening up the always solid core group.  James Black's Martin is grounded, witty, and gave me an old school Will Rogers Americana vibe throughout.  Sara J. Griffin is also lovely as Alice and her relationship with Michael Gotch's Tony proves to be much more enchanting and romantic than I was expecting.  Nice turns from Elizabeth Heflin and a hilarious Kathleen Pirkl Tague are also worth applauding.

You Can't Take It With You is further proof that the Resident Ensemble Players can elevate even a dated play and make it feel relevant and alive in front of modern audiences.  Continued excellence in the behind-the-scenes aspects of the production enhance the actors' portrayals and make this a play worth seeing.