The Vanderhof - Sycamore Household
Dave Fickbohm lives in Marin County and regularly reviews live theater productions in the San Francisco Bay Area. Contact Dave Fickbohm at davefickbohm@gmail.com
A visit to the Vanderhof-Sycamore household of “You Can’t Take It With You” is pretty much guaranteed to make a person wish for a permanent place in this bustling, happy family.
Sure, the recurring explosions from the basement fireworks laboratory could get on one’s nerves, as could the impromptu xylophone concerts in the living room, but those seem a small price to pay for the joyful companionship of people who believe life is too precious to be wasted doing anything other than what one pleases.
The giddy idealism of George S. Kaufman and Moss Hart’s 1936 comedy sets just the right tone for the 6th Street Playhouse second play of the season.
Staged with enthusiasm and care, the production, is destined to spread good feeling.
The genius of this Pulitzer-winning play is that it treats a showdown of American values as a screwball comedy. The Vanderhof-Sycamores, whose philosophy is stated right there in the title, represent one side. The other is embodied by Mr. Anthony Kirby, a Wall Street type, and his repressed wife. The families meet when their offspring fall in love. The setting is the Vanderhof-Sycamores’ living room, rendered by Elizabeth Bazzano as a lovely, multi-storied home from the 1930s crammed with the implements of the family’s many enthusiasms.
Joe Winkler’s Mr. Sycamore speaks every word a little louder than needed, his hearing ruined by fireworks experiments.
Though perpetually lost in the worlds of the plays she’s writing, Kate Brickley’s Mrs. Sycamore is never too preoccupied to nurture the happiness of her daughters, one ballet-mad (April Krautner) as Essie and zestily married (to mischief-eyed Peter Warden) as Ed, the other (Taylor Differderfer) as Alice, a working girl who is sparklingly in love with the boss’ son (Lowell Weller, whose Anthony Kirby Jr., unlike his parents, uses his head and heart in equal measure).
In supporting roles, Naomi Sample portrays the family maid who is a member of the family very effectively, as does Arnold House as her boyfriend. These two have a wonderful scene at the dining table. Chris Murphy and Keith Baker employ physical comedy to explosively funny effect. Elly Lichenstiein is a wonderfully haughty Grand Duchess and Sarah Abbey plays a zany actress. Adam Burkholder, Scott Hayes, and, Nick Schritzinger looked like and are very believable as the law. Eric Chaznkin is a very confused and perplexed IRS revenue collector.
As the grandpa who is the chief live-and-let-live proponent, John Craven is ever the calm at the center of the storm.
Given his attention to small but telling details, director Charlie Queary, returning to the 6TH Street Playhouse, achieves something very important: He finds the show’s heart.
This viewer, for one, had a hard time seeing the last 20 minutes. Too many tears of laughter clouded my eyes.
What: ‘You Can’t Take It With You’
Where: 6th Street Playhouse, 52 West 6th Street, Santa Rosa, CA
When: Thur, Fri, Sat at 8 p.m. Sun at 2 p.m. Sat 2 p.m. Oct 10, 17, 24
Price: Gen $28 Sen(62+) $22 Yth $22 Fri, Sat, Sun Gen $22 Sen(62+) $18 Yth $18 Sat. Oct 10, 17, 24
Phone: (707) 623-4185
Website: www.6thstreetplayhouse.com
Box Office Hours: Tues – Fri 1 – 4 p.m. Sat 11 a.m. – 2 p.m. & one hour before Showtime
