Joel Barlow High School Presents "You Can't Take it With You"

From Joel Barlow High School:

Joel Barlow Presents You Can’t Take it With You
By Liz Morris

Students at Joel Barlow High School are set to perform the hilarious comedy You Can’t Take it With You on Friday, May 20th at 7:00 p.m., Saturday, May 21st at 7:00 p.m. and Sunday, May 22nd at 2:00 p.m. This classic comedy, written by George S. Kaufman and Moss Hart, won the 1937 Pulitzer Prize for drama and was recently revived on Broadway in 2014 with James Earl Jones in the leading role.

Under the direction of Nancy Ponturo, this zany family will show you how much fun you can have when you have a grandpa that collects snakes; a mother who spends all day writing but never quite finishes a single story; a father who makes fireworks in the basement; and, a sister that is an aspiring ballerina with unique talent. “This is a house where you do as you like, and no questions asked.”

“There are 17 members in the cast. I have worked with many over the last four years, and there are also many new talented freshmen joining us. They are all so committed and eager, polite and professional, and very funny!
I enjoy collaborating with the cast so if anyone has a suggestion on how to make something funnier then we try it out. It's a very fast paced comedy so everyone has to be super attentive in the wings awaiting cues. Everyone on stage is engaged in some sort of activity at all times and they’re always in motion so timing is very important”, says Ponturo of her work on this production with the Barlow students.

Set in New York City in the late 1930’s, the lovely young Alice Sycamore falls in love with the boss’s son, Tony Kirby, and plans to marry him. But the Kirby family is quite serious and is aghast at the wacky behavior of the Sycamore family.

The cast includes May Blumenfield (as Alice Sycamore), Alex Darlington (as her fiancé, Tony Kirby), Isaac Losacco (as her grandpa, Martin Vanderhof), Ellen Thome (as Penny Sycamore) and Finn Navin (as Paul Sycamore).
Other cast members include Daisy Navin (as Essie Carmichael), Nik Brannan (as Mr. DePinna), Kevin Keating (as Ed Carmichael) and Joseph Redmond (as Boris Kolenkhov) as well as Megan Seidman, Nick Morris, Nate Laske, Emma Sanders, Wyatt Hoover, Jenna Thoretz, Nikki Kearney and RJ Giannicchi.

“The costumes are out of this world! Most built by our amazing Julie Thome. The actors are thrilled to be wearing such gorgeous clothes inspired by the 1930's. The set, also quite extraordinary and built by Paul Losacco, is a replica of a living room in Manhattan”, says Ponturo.

Ponturo has directed the spring play at Joel Barlow High School for 9 years and has been the artistic director of the Shakespeare program at New Pond Farm for the past 13 years. She recently directed the fall play at Weston High School and performed and directed a successful dramatic reading of Almost Maine at New Pond Farm this winter.
You Can’t Take it With You is appropriate for all ages and will have two intermissions. Tickets are available at the door.