Review: You Can’t Take It With You
Seattle Rep Theatre
Directed by Warner Shook.
You Can’t Take It With You is about a very funny family who most likely considers themselves normal…
But “normal” for the Sycamore family is a reach. This family, headed by parents Anna Allgood as Penny and R. Hamilton Wright as Paul Sycamore, lead a band of their family members and drop in folks that take up residence and never leave. This is 1936 and times are hard and everyone in this household does their best in their own crazy way to keep happy and productive. They have hobbies and some are budding entrepreneurs with ideas that bring them to the attention of the Federal Tax department.
Daughter, Essie played by Annette Toutonghi is hilarious as someone who has devoted herself to ballet lessons for eight years and still is a horrible dancer with no talent. Her husband, Ed played by Bradford Farwell is a wonderful match for Essie. He is a printer who loves to play music.
The Sycamore’s other daughter Alice, played by Elise Karolina Hunt, does a wonderful job to balance this crazy family. She loves her family and understands all of their antics. When she becomes engaged to Tony, played by Ben Hollandsworth, she is hesitant to introduce his rich and conservative parents, the Kirbys, played by Mark Chamberlin and Kimberly King. The last family member is Grandpa, who is the family anchor. Michael Winters is so graceful in this role where things happen at lightening speed. From G-men rushing in to arrest everyone, to the house being lit up by firecrackers, there seems to be a lot to going on in here.
Rounding out this merry band is the hanger-on’s that the family love and include as part of the household: Kolenkov (Frank Corrado) Essie’s Russian ballet teacher, Mr. DePainna (Allen Galli) whose assistance with making fireworks that is more than a hobby, Rheba (Khatt Taylor) the maid and cook, her boyfriend Donald (Cecil Luellen), Gay Wellington (Suzy Hunt) the actor hired by Mrs. Sycamore and Elizabeth Huddle (Olga the Duchess). Quite a cast of characters.
The play features seventeen Seattle actors and the delight in watching this play is that it delivers. From the interaction and pacing of the actors coming and going in the large Sycamore living area, to the past hobbies taking up space in the living room alongside the family snake. The lighting and special effects also do their part of magic and surprise when the family’s fireworks go astray.
For 1936, the timing of this play could not be better as the nation goes through similar challenges. The lessons to be learned is to live your life the very best that you can. The Sycamore do exactly that, understanding hard times do not last forever. This play provides a couple hours of humor, fun and a belief that things are never as bad as they seem. But I say this is well worth the price of a ticket.
You Can’t Take It With you plays in the Bagley Wright Theatre of the Seattle Rep through January 3, 2009. Remember if you are under 25 you can get tickets for just $10. For more info and tickets visit www.seattlerep.org.
– Ethel W.
