You Can't Take it With You

Everyone in Grandpa Vanderhoff’s family does exactly as he pleases.

Which is exactly why things will go wrong at the Vanderhoff home in this weekend’s production of “You Can’t Take It With You.”

The play opens at the La Conner School auditorium on Friday night at 7:30 p.m., with two additional shows on Saturday at 2 and at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $5 and can be purchased at the door or reserved by calling 466-3171.

The year is 1937, the place, a quiet neighborhood in New York City. “Penny,” played by Maggie Powell, writes plays and paints portraits — badly. Penny’s husband “Paul,” Seth Schuh, spends his time building Erector Set models and makes fireworks with his assistant “Donald,” portrayed by Jacob Shivers.

Daughter “Essie,” played by Carly Johnson, has studied dancing for eight years but isn’t making any progress — much to the chagrin of her Russian ballet teacher “Kolenkov,” played by Drew Kainz. And Essie’s husband “Ed,” the real life Will Malcomson, just plays with his printing press and his xylophone all day long.

None of them make any money, except daughter “Alice,” played by Sarah Brewer. She falls in love with her boss’s son, “Tony,” played by Nick Reece. The boss, played by Luke Hulbert, wants his son to take over the business some day. But when the two families meet for dinner at the Vanderhoff home, it quickly becomes obvious to everyone that they are from very different worlds.

Several of the cast members are seniors with many years of stage experience behind them. Luke Hulbert, as the stuffy “Mr. Kirby,” has been on stage every year of his high school career. Alex Wirth, who plays “Grandpa,” has had leading roles in several earlier productions.

Jacob Shivers, playing the role of “Donald,” is a character actor you’ll recognize and enjoy as well. Jacob Anderson, who has worked both on and off stage every year, will be with us one last time as well.

Other performers include newcomers Kassidy Colton as “Rheba, the maid,” and Lily Weigova as “Grand Dutchess Olga Katrina.” Briana Porter plays the wealthy “Mrs. Kirby”; Mariah Clark performs as a “federal agent.”

And we have a special guest star: Peter Voorhees, a member of the La Conner High School teaching staff, who joins us to perform the role of a Justice Department plain-clothes detective.

Although it’s full of laughs, “You Can’t Take It With You” poses an important question: Should you spend your life doing what you love, or use your days to pursue money and power? Which path leads to real love and happiness?

Come see the play this weekend and discover how it all works out in this enduringly popular American classic.