Maybe you can’t take it with you, but you can expect to take away a good time from any Boston University Stage Troupe production.
Stage Troupe, BU’s oldest and largest extracurricular performing arts group, performed “You Can’t Take It With You” from April 17 to 19 at the Agganis Arena Student Theater.
The three-act play follows Grandpa Vanderhof and his family, the Sycamores — a zany bunch with hobbies like collecting snakes, writing plays and playing the xylophone.
When Alice Sycamore becomes engaged to her company’s vice president, Tony Kirby, her eccentric family must attempt to put their best foot forward when meeting the new in-laws. Chaos ensues along the way, from evaded taxes to exploding fireworks in the basement, but the families learn to accept each other in the end.
Even with the elaborate comedic plot, it was a bit difficult to follow the plot during the Stage Troupe production. This could be a personal issue with the writing of the play itself, but I struggled to even determine who the main character was until Act Three.
The theater experience felt like a live-taped sitcom, with the audience cheering loudly at each cast member’s entrance — and most notably, during Grandpa Vanderhof’s Act Three monologue that evokes the title of the play.
As a comedic play meant to showcase an ensemble of silly characters, I struggled to distinguish the different personalities of the Sycamore family. I would have loved to see more of a “commitment to the bit” from some members of the company — but there were some standouts.
Sophomore Eric Rogers was the perfect choice for Grandpa Vanderhof, with his gruff voice and movements that embodied the happy and eccentric old man who never paid his income taxes because he does not believe in it.
When Rogers eloquently drives the tax collector Mr. Henderson, played by freshman Annie Erenburg, to madness, Erenburg explodes into a lively rant, captivating the audience and inviting them to join in collective stupor as Henderson attempts to reason with the standoffish Grandpa Vanderhof.
Junior Justina So brought a masterful physicality to Essie, the whimsical daughter of Paul and Penny Sycamore who is an aspiring — albeit terrible — dancer. So pranced confidently across the stage, kicking her legs fiercely in ballet motions and dropping into the splits with a madcap wonder.
Another wacky member of the company was junior Simon Goldort as Kolenkhov, Essie’s Russian ballet instructor who escaped to America before the Russian Revolution. Goldort’s voice boomed over the rest of the cast’s in a hearty accent, injecting comedy into every line.
There were plenty of moments that evoked laughs — from So’s bouncy dance moves to an instance when housekeeper Rheba, played by sophomore Peyton Bliley, smacked her hands on the dinner table and stormed into the kitchen at an offensive comment.
However, the play’s comedy often fell flat, as there were too many jokes to count that could have received a larger reaction from the audience.
Additionally, the chemistry wasn’t evident between many pairings in the ensemble. I felt more chemistry between Essie and her husband Ed, played by freshman Nate Lee, than between the show’s main couple of Alice and Tony, played by junior Alicia Lin and graduate student Olivia Tambascio.
However, what I took away most from “You Can’t Take It With You” were its sincere moments, which Lin and Tambascio helped lead.
Alice’s caution over introducing the Kirbys to her wacky family was earnestly portrayed by Lin, showcasing the practical pessimism of the character.
Meanwhile, Tambascio shines in Act Three, when Tony declares his wish to leave his job at Kirby & Co. to chase something he enjoys.
The technical production of the show was absolutely perfect. The lighting would dim at more intense, serious moments — or to dramatize the silly ones — and it would flash at times to emulate the explosion of fireworks in the basement of the house.
The best were the spotlights on the front door — eliciting crowd cheers at various entrances.
Additionally, the gorgeous set design was the first thing I noticed upon entering the Student Theater. The red-striped walls covered sporadically in framed photographs made the house into a home, and there were plenty of doors on the stage for the large ensemble to move in and out through.
At the end of the play, Grandpa Vanderhof reconciles with Mr. Kirby, Tony’s father who is played by sophomore Lanz Perez-Kudzma, urging him to let his son pursue his dreams because “you can’t take it with you” when you die. Rogers delivered the touching moment beautifully, leading the two families to come together for Alice and Tony’s union.
For a comedic play, Stage Troupe’s production of “You Can’t Take It With You” packed the most punch, not in punch lines, but in its heartfelt lessons.
