Carson-Newman Presents “You Can’t Take It with You”

Carson-Newman’s Theatre Department will present “You Can’t Take It with You” November 15 − 17. The American classic, written by George S. Kaufman and Moss Hart, will be directed by C-N student Jessica Whitmill.

“The play centers around the delightfully mad Sycamore family led by patriarch Grandpa Martin Vanderhof, who is played by David Morton,” says Kyle Biery, C-N’s assistant professor of theatre. “Mayhem ensues when their daughter’s fiancé, played by Austin Olive, arrives at the bohemian, freethinking Sycamore family residence with his prim and proper parents for an introductory dinner on the wrong night.” Biery explains that through it all the audience discovers the universality of family, and that sometimes eccentricities are the ties that bind. Morton and Olive, both of Jefferson City, join a cast of 20 for the production.

“You Can’t Take It with You” is often credited as the inspiration for the modern situation comedy,” notes Whitmill. “The play’s charm and timeless appeal lie not only in the comic genius of its writing, but in its exploration of questions of purpose and theme of acceptance of all people regardless of quirks, social status or nationality.”

The original production earned the Pulitzer Prize and was adapted into an Academy Award-winning film in 1938 starring Jimmy Stewart and Lionel Barrymore. The performances, which are family-friendly, begin at 7:30 p.m. in Carson-Newman’s Gentry Auditorium located in Henderson Humanities Building. Tickets are $5 for students and seniors, and $8 for adults. They may be purchased at the Gentry Box Office or by phone at 865-471-4163.