Searcy High School will present You Can’t Take It With You, a comedy by George S. Kaufman and Moss Hart, at the Searcy High School Performing Arts Center, 301 N. Ella St. in Searcy.
Curtain time is at 6:30 p.m. March 30 and at 2 p.m. April 2. Doors will open at 6 on March 30 and at 1:30 on April 2.
You Can’t Take It With You features two families — the Sycamores, with Grandpa Vanderhof as the patriarch, who appear odd and eccentric yet delightful, and the Kirbys, who appear prim and proper, and unhappy. Tony Kirby and Alice Sycamore fall in love, and the two families must find a way to accept each other.
You Can’t Take It With You premiered on Broadway in 1936. It received the 1937 Pulitzer Prize for Drama and was adapted for the screen in 1938, starring James Stewart, Jean Arthur, Lionel Barrymore, Edward Arnold and Spring Byington, among others. The movie won the Academy Award for Best Picture and Best Director of 1938; Frank Capra directed the movie. Since then, the play has been revived many times on Broadway, including in 2014 when James Earl Jones played the part of Grandpa.
Mandy Taylor, who teaches theater, stagecraft and drama survey at the high school, is production manager for the upcoming presentation.
Taylor said the high school usually presents two productions a year — one in the fall and one in the spring.
“I choose the plays, but I ask for input from the students,” she said. “This play was actually suggested to me by a student teacher I had last year; she now teaches at Harding Academy.
“I recently posted a notice on the Searcy High School alumni page and heard from an alum who said they did this same play back in 1954,” Taylor said, smiling. “I talked to the kids about inviting this person to come see our production.”
Taylor said any high school student can audition for the school plays.
“In the fall, we have live auditions,” she said. “In the spring, I require a digital audition. I provide an audition packet to those interested, and it gives step-by-step instructions on how to prepare a digital or video audition. We also offer a workshop to those who need help in selecting, preparing and submitting their monologue.”
Taylor also requires those who are selected for a play to sign an “author contract,” which emphasizes the importance of commitment.
“Students cast in the play must be fully committed, attending all scheduled rehearsals and performances,” she said, adding that some allowances are made for conflicts in schedules.
“I try to make this experience as professional as I can,” Taylor said, adding that she believes the experience is “more a process than an end result.”
“This experience should be one of artistic growth and personal inspiration,” she writes in the audition packet. “It should be a time of discovering gifts and potential, of building confidence and learning to work together as a team. It is our hope that this will be an experience that will produce lasting memories of sharing the joys of working in theater.”
Taylor said students are involved in all aspects of the production, including building sets and making costumes.
Crew chief Ariadna Leyva works closely with costume designer Emely Truong, assisted by their costume crew, Hannah Wells and LaCora Hemingway, who is also the prop master, to create unique costumes for the cast of You Can’t Take It With You. The crew is responsible for costumes for all 19 actors in this production.
Student directors are Julia Mansur and Jamie Hall; Mansur is also the publicity and food manager. Other members of the crew include technical director Connor Fredieu; stage manager Kaytlin Rector; assistant stage manager Monica Mitchell; house manager Kelsey McPherson, who is also a
co-chairman for makeup; assistant publicity manager Miraya Gerardo; shop manager Katrina Spiker; sound technician Ethan Million; rigging, Peregryn Robbins and Pallas Manley; makeup co-chairman Victoria Cook; light-board operators Dayna Jackson, Taqita Irvine and Savannah Brown; and set crew, members of Taylor’s stagecraft class.
Members of the cast include the following:
• Miraya Gerardo appears as Penelope “Penny” Sycamore, the mother of the family who writes plays and paints as hobbies but is terrible at both.
• Trey Brackenridge portrays Paul Sycamore, the father of the family who makes fireworks in the basement.
• Connor Fredieu plays Martin “Grandpa” Vanderhof, a happy old man who has never paid his taxes. His philosophy in life is: Don’t do anything that you’re not going to enjoy doing.
• Victoria Cook appears as Alice Sycamore, the Sycamores’ younger daughter, who falls in love with her boss’ son, Tony Kirby. Alice is often embarrassed by her family’s eccentric behavior but still loves them.
• Garrett Adkins portrays Tony Kirby, the son of Alice’s boss. Tony sees that the Sycamores are eccentric, but he also sees they love and care for each other.
• Holden Jones plays the part of Anthony W. Kirby, father of Tony and a very proper man.
• Tremere Shell appears as Boris Kolenkhov, a Russian dance teacher.
• Jalynn Barker portrays Essie Carmichael, the Sycamores’ older daughter and the wife of Ed. She dreams of being a ballerina and takes lessons from the Russian.
• Caleb Raper plays the part of Ed Carmichael, husband to Essie, who supports her efforts to learn to dance.
• Stormey Morton appears as Mr. De Pinna, who assists Paul Sycamore in making fireworks.
• Parion Buchanan plays Donald, the boyfriend to Rheba and volunteer handyman for the Sycamores.
• Emma Porter plays Rheba, the maid and cook for the Sycamore family.
• Noah Glaze appears as Wilbur C. Henderson, an employee of the Internal Revenue Service who comes to collect from Grandpa.
• Chloe Long portrays Miriam Kirby, the wife of Anthony W. Kirby, mother of Tony Kirby and an extremely prim and proper woman.
• Lauren Brown plays the Grand Duchess Olga Katrina, formerly of Russia who now works as a waitress.
• Kelsey McPherson appears as Gay Wellington, an alcoholic actress whom Mrs. Sycamore meets on a bus and invites home to read one of her plays.
Rounding out the cast are three government agents who come to investigate Ed because of communist things he prints on his printing press. They include Sarah Redd, who appears as G-Man 1, The Man; Cori Vehlies, as G-Man 2, Jim; and Emerald Chaney, as G-Man 3, Mac.
Tickets for You Can’t Take It With You may be purchased online at youcanttakeitwithyouMarch30.eventbrite.com or youcanttakeitwithyouapril2.eventbrite.com. If purchased online, tickets are $7 (plus a processing fee) for adults and $5 (plus a processing fee) for students, senior citizens and members of the military.
Tickets will also be available at the door for $9 for adults and $7 for students, senior citizens and members of the military.