After weeks of rehearsing and countless hours spent memorizing and blocking, the cast and crew of the annual school play, “You Can’t Take It With You,” put on a spectacular show. This past weekend, students and teachers alike dazzled audiences with chaos, laughter, and heartwarming moments, bringing the spark of theater performances back to Manhasset.
The play, originally premiering in 1936, is a whimsical comedy centering around the Vanderhof and Sycamore families, whose eccentricities in New York City lead to a clash when practical Alice Sycamore becomes engaged to Tony Kirby. A tale of unexpected romance, “You Can’t Take It With You,” is about the American dream and the eventual love and acceptance of two opposing families.
Following the success of “Anestasia: the Musical,”, this production marked the second show of the year and was many students’ last performance of their high school careers. One senior, Bernadette Holmes, expressed her enthusiasm for the production, emphasizing its chaotic humor. “I really loved the show,” she said, “I think it was a lot of chaotic movie and funny-ness… it was really cute, and really fun!”
Fellow senior Bridget Golly shared in the excitement, highlighting the laughter both on and off the stage. “I think the show was a lot of fun not only for us on stage because yesterday we were literally crying laughing at how funny it was,” she remarked.
For Senan Marcus, who is also senior this year, the joy of the performance lay in the spontaneous moments of connection between actors and audience. “My favorite part of the show was when everyone was having fun and like we kind of went off book a little bit… because when you make the other people on stage laugh, then the audience laugh as well,” Marcus explained.
But beneath the comedic surface, there is a hidden meaning. Director Victoria DiCarlo, whose creative vision guided the production, spoke about the play’s underlying themes of individuality and familial relationships. “It really matches the group of kids that we have right now in the sense that they’re, just like, a lot of unique and fun characters who have a really fun time together but in the end are there for eachother… they’re all sort of marching to the beat of their own drums.”
Enhanced by innovative choreography, new-and-improved set design and special effects, and a talented ensemble, “You Can’t Take It With You” delivered an unforgettable experience for both performers and audiences alike. As the curtain closed on the final night, laughter and applause filled the theater, celebrating the magic of live performance and the bonds forged through creativity and collaboration here in Manhasset.
