Ridge’s Fall Play—You Can’t Take It With You

Art+credits+to+Karen+Fung%21

Art credits to Karen Fung!

Emma Reilly ‘20

Quirky, funny and eccentric, all words used to describe Ridge’s fall play, You Can’t Take It With You.  Produced by the Ridge Drama Club, this popular comedy is sure to reel in a lot of laughs from audience members when it opens November 18.

Our drama club will tell the story of the romance between Alice Sycamore, portrayed by Cate Longino, and Tony Kirby, portrayed by Tommy Blanchard. Alice and Tony have an epic love which is doused by the opposing personalities of their families. The Sycamores are loud and wacky, while the Kirbys are more conservative and traditional. When these two families are forced to dine together, the Kirbys leave with the conclusion that their son will never marry a girl from such a mad family. This leads both families to ask themselves: What does love really mean to them?

Considering this description, Karenna Breslow ‘20, who plays Rheba, concluded that the biggest thing she took away from the play was that “love might differ from what you’re used to, but it’s a good thing to include even though it might change your life a little bit.”

You Can’t Take It With You, written by Moss Hart and George S. Kaufman was first produced in 1936, and since then the play has achieved major success as one of the most popular plays in high schools across the nation. Most recently it experienced a revival on Broadway starring James Earl Jones!

According to Mrs. Kern, the director of the play, the time period the audience is submerged into won’t hinder how it relates to those in today’s society. She explains, “The characters are just so fun and quirky. You’re rooting for all of them…and those type of characters still exist today, so they’re still relatable to any audience.”

Similarly, Sam Prentiss ’17, who plays “Mr. Kolenkkhov” and is a Director’s Assistant, remarked, “I think part of the humor comes from how the play has aged weirdly,” and that audience members should embrace the differences between America in the 1930’s and America today.

You Can’t Take It With You is a comedy that also touches upon some major themes of life and is sure to be a memorable performance for all audience members come November.