You Can't Take It With You Also see John's review of Inspecting Carol This classic by Moss Hart & George S. Kaufman play made its debut at the Booth Theater in 1936, and also won the 1937 Pulitzer Prize in Drama. The saga of the Sycamore family and all their zany friends continued for 838 performances in its initial run. There were three Broadway revivals (1965, 1967, and 1983). The 1983 revival starred James Coco, Colleen Dewhurst, and the great Jason Robards as Grandpa. Hart and Kaufman's comedy has become a major staple for regional and community theaters, as well at high schools all over the nation. It's a safe choice that won't offend anyone. It's wholesome, sweet, and full of family love and values. I'm sure in its original run such topics as sex and not paying your taxes might be a little controversial, but time has not been kind to the piece. It is lackluster, not very funny and, at times, boring. Comedies back then seem to have the common theme of long acts involving endless pages of exposition, huge casts - seemingly all the time in the world to unfold the story. Today, the piece is a decaying relic from the vaults of theater history. Garland Civic Theatre is currently remounting this drawing room comedy of an erratic family and how they almost ruin a romance between their daughter and the son of a rich family. The production is pleasurable, and the talented company works overtime to entertain, but in the end, the play is tedious and wearisome. Director Kyle McClaran does an exquisite job with his blocking and staging. He uses every space available to create charming picture windows. Throughout the evening he has cast members on steps, on levels, and all over the house set, giving the piece a warm glow of family life. To dust off the cobwebs of the play, McClaran has directed his entire company to give individual, unique characterizations. I've seen several productions of this play in which characters ran together, in one big bowl of blandness. Not under McClaran's direction. It is entertaining to see the members of a large company separate with clean, concise, characterizations. To help McClaran's direction and vision, he has a terrific set of designers. Kimberly Corbett's mιlange of scenic elements is a vision of beauty. She has a long staircase, a fireplace, a dining room on a platform, a large picture window, and more. Every wall is covered in different patterns and wallpapers. There are no problems for line of sight, and she has given McClaran so much room to play with. The set is greatly aided by gorgeous set dressing provided by McClaran, and properties by Jean Holmes. The set is overflowing with bric-a-brac, curios, urns, flowers, candy jars and stuffed animals. There is also a beautiful Christmas tree designed by Kimble J. McSweeney. Michael Campbell's lighting design is ravishing. The purples and lush pinks spill from the outside picture window; for the fireworks explosions he has reds flooding the stage, and throughout the play, he adds pools of light and other visuals to create a sweet veil of warmth. All these elements make the production look as though you were peering into a marvelous Christmas snow globe. All that was missing was some glitter and snow! Kudos as well to Jeulet Noyes' period costuming. The tuxes are elegant, and the evening gowns for the two women are tasteful in period and design. One is a big, billowing pink gown with sprinkles of sequins; the other is a tight, silver satin gown with diamond clips. Very Jean Harlow. The entire company deliver satisfying, audience-pleasing performances, with several deserving of special mention. Michael Wiseman, Tracy Hurd and Renee Krapff stand out from the large cast. Wiseman portrays the manic, hyper Ballet teacher Boris Kolenkhov. A large man with brooding dark features, the actor has great energy that sparks his characterization brightly. While the Russian accent occasionally disappears, he nonetheless gives an eye-popping, scene-stealing performance. Tracy Hurd not only gets to wear the most lavish costumes in the show, but she has two great roles to sink her teeth into. One is the rich, stuffy, Mrs. Kirby. Encased in silver satin and dripping in diamonds, she's one hot momma. With her snooty attitude and voice dialect, she sounds like Mrs. Lovey Howell from Gilligan's Island. The other role is the Grand Duchess Olga Katrina. With a deep, throaty Russian accent, grand manners (even though she's a waitress on Times Square now), and dressed in an overflowing cascade of furs, Ms. Hurd commands the stage with this characterization. Renee Krapff portrays Essie Carmichael with the right mix of childlike innocence and horrible ballet dancer in training. Ms. Krapff never once walks across the stage; she is does ballet steps or dance sequences which result in pleasurable laughs from the audience. She's a delight in the production. Others in the company also deliver dandy, top notch work : Susan McMath Platt as Penelope Sycamore; Frances Elijah as Rheba; Don Berger as Grandpa; and Doug Fowler as Anthony Kirby Sr. As the two lovers, Cheryl Lowber and Michael DeVous have charming chemistry and play off each other wonderfully. Watching their relationship grow gives a warm, fuzzy feeling that cannot help but put a smile on your face. You also have to give them major kudos for having to do a dreadful dance duet in the first act, which I am certain was not in the original, as they dance to a song from the animated film Anastasia. It comes out of nowhere, and is so out of place, it seems for a second that Disney on Ice crashed onto the set. Visually, this scene lit wonderfully, but it is really an eye sore. Two other actors that deserve recognition are Joe Porter as Mr. DePinna and Jeremy Schwab as Ed Carmichael. Both actors create very unique, endearing performances that beg for more stage time. Porter's DePinna has a strange laugh that works perfectly for his characterization. Schwab has the best facial expressions in the company; he is constantly in character, creating delightful subtext with his face. The production has its share of pace problems, especially in the first act. Several actors are zooming along at solid speed, only to have one or two others go way too slow, talking through molasses. Another problem is the irritating music that is played in the background. There is some honest, heartfelt acting happening on stage, only to be ruined by the background music that blares out. The play does not need this at all. The best comedy and the major highlight of the evening is the parlor game that is played between the Kirbys and the Sycamores. Here's where everything falls into sync. The pace is going at terrific speed, the actors in the scene bring superb comedic timing and delivery - and they all have great facial expressions. This scene alone is worth the price of a ticket. It is hilarious, fresh, and full of energy. Even with its problems, the production still glows brightly like the Christmas lights that swirl around the onstage tree, and that bright glow comes from the wonderful array of talented actors. They rise above the creaky script to still give the play its oomph. Production runs through December 9th. Performances are
scheduled in the small theatre at the Granville Arts Center,
300 North Fifth Street in downtown Garland for Nov 31, Dec
1, 2, 7, 8, and 9 at 8:00 PM and Nov 19, 25, 26, Dec 3, and
9 at 2:00 PM. Tickets are available by calling the box
office at 972-205-2790. Ticket prices are $16 to $20.
Discounts are available for those over 60 and under 18.
Special prices are also available for groups of 15 or more.
You Can't Take It With You by Moss Hart & George S. Kaufman
Garland Civic Theatre Cast: Penelope Sycamore
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Susan McMath Platt |
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