Takeaways from "You Can't Take it With You"

In the Humanities Center from on the weekends of Nov. 8 and Nov. 15, a tax-evading, snake-catching grandpa, a merry Russian dance teacher and a socially inept xylophonist were brought to life in a wacky, touching and downright hilarious Samo theatre performance of the 1936 play by George Kaufman, “You Can’t Take It With You.” In “You Can’t Take It With You,” Alice Sycamore, played by Abby Johnson (‘20), wants to marry Tony Kirby, played by Mateo Marquez (‘21), but they are worried their families will not get along. While Alice’s family is eccentric and unusual, Tony’s family is proper and reserved. When one meets the other, hijinks ensue. For Marquez, the most enjoyable part of the show was building the family dynamic. “It was so fun making up entire lives and backstories for these characters, then seeing how these relationships affect the show,” Marquez said.As for why this play was chosen to put on, theatre instructor Kate Barraza commented that a simple and comedic play is just what people need right now.“I just wanted to do something fun. I feel like people needed that this year,” said Barraza.It was certainly fun, although it dealt with heavy subjects like the great depression and classism, the production did a good job of making these topics seem manageable. According to Natalie Krenik, who played Alice’s mother, what audiences should take away from the play closely aligns with Barraza’s intention.“I think audiences should take away the fact that life can be fun if you let it,” Krenik said.“You Can’t Take it With You” is quite popular for amateur productions, being the tenth most common play to be performed at high schools. It takes place solely in the home of Alice’s grandfather, Martin Vanderhof (played by Micah Payton). Payton’s performance as “Grandpa” perfectly encompassed this zany character, with his well timed wisdom and optimistic obliviousness.Beyond the exceptional performances of the actors, the set was impressive. For such a small space to make use of, the Vanderhof-Carmichael-Sycamore house truly looked like a home, and the characters took full advantage of the space, creating a believable environment. The enchanting special effects also contributed to the full picture, with smoke, lights and sound effects all working to transport the audience into the house of Alice Sycamore’s chaotic family.In the end, although some dated humor went over young audience members’ heads, “You Can’t Take It With You’s” message of enjoying life while one has the chance came across well, made audiences laugh, gasp and feel slightly uncomfortable.