It goes deeper, Tony. Your mother believes in spiritualism because it’s fashionable, and your father raises orchids because he can afford to. My mother writes plays because eight years ago a typewriter was delivered here by mistake. -Alice Sycamore
The Sycamore family of Pentacle’s new production, “You Can’t Take it With You” is out of step. They pursue their passions blissfully with no care for money, rules, or time. They dance, they make candy, they write plays about war and sex, and they experiment with explosives. They live in a large brilliantly cluttered house, forging lives so beguiling that guests are known to arrive and never leave.
The Sycamores are the rarest of people: those who know what happiness is and are willing to accept it. In the center of it all is young Alice Sycamore, (a charming Sophie Morris) who has found her own gentle passion in a straighter life with a nice, well-to-do boy named Tony (Robert Salberg). But when Alice comes to believe there is no way their families could ever get along, she almost gives up on her own happiness. Luckily, her family’s peculiar kind of love is there to help her along.
When entering the theater, don’t look at the stage. Find the seat first, sit, and give full attention to the set. The first bite is delicious. Tony Zandol has once again poured his heart into the set design, capturing the essence of the Sycamore family by showing the joyous mess of their home.
Standout performances in the large cast were plentiful. The always captivating Ed Kramer is Grandpa, standing in the center of the whirlwind with peaceful good nature. Jeff Witt’s boyish Ed Carmichael is able to draw a constant stream of laughter even when he isn’t talking, using only scowls and giggles. Ross Waite’s burly Russian Boris Kolenkhov is irresistible, slamming every punch line with perfect tone and timing.
Lyndsey Fields Houser is a supporting pillar of the play. A veteran of film and television, from Will & Grace to The New Adventures of Old Christine, Houser’s Penny is the family‘s matriarch and the play‘s electricity. She infuses Penny with the daffy sweetness that guides the mood of the entire production.
What makes you happy? What do you really need? This play by Moss Hart and Algonquin Round Table regular George S. Kaufmann began posing that question to audiences 60 years ago. That question, and the answers the play provides, are just as effective today as they ever were. You can’t take it with you, so spend some of it on seeing Pentacle’s season opener. It’s worth it.
“You Can’t Take It With You” runs until February 13 at Pentacle. For tickets call 503.485.4300 or go to www.pentacletheatre.org.
