Kaufman and Hart's You Can't Take It
with You at PlayMakers Is a Timely
Comedy About What Really Matters

Stars include (from left) Reez Bailey as Tony Kirby, Delaney Jackson as Alice, and Elizabeth Dye as Essie (photo by Huth Photo)

PlayMakers Repertory Company's Nov. 19-Dec. 7 production of You Can't Take It with You proves that a nearly 90-year-old comedy can feel surprisingly contemporary in this moment of economic hardship and political divisiveness. We live in a time when people are overworked, anxious about money, and constantly pushed toward outrage. Against that backdrop, the Sycamore/Vanderhof household -- with its mismatched chairs, half-finished projects, and open-door hospitality -- looks less like a quirky 1930s relic and more like an alternative model for how to live.

Co-written by Moss Hart and George S. Kaufman, one of Broadway's great comedy teams, You Can't Take It with You premiered on Broadway in 1936 and quickly became a classic of American theater. Kaufman and Hart's sharp, fast-paced dialogue and affection for oddballs are on full display here.

PlayMakers Repertory Company will stage Moss Hart and George S. Kaufman's You Can't Take It with You, directed
by Nathaniel P. Claridad, on Nov. 19-Dec. 7 in UNC-Chapel Hill's Paul Green Theatre (photo by Huth Photo)

But what's striking about this production is how lighthearted comedy carries a serious undercurrent about money, power, and what a good life actually looks like. It's easy to see why this play has stayed in the American repertoire for nearly a century.

In this production, the tone is set even before the curtain goes up. 1930s swing music, peppered with crackling radio commercials for cigarettes, chewing gum, and other long-ago products, creates a buoyant, slightly nostalgic atmosphere as the audience finds their seats. It's a smart bit of scene-setting: by the time the first character walks onstage, we already feel as if we've tuned into another era, one that still feels uncomfortably close to our own.

You Can't Take It with You stars Delaney Jackson as Alice and Ray Anthony Thomas as Martin Vanderhof (photo by Huth Photo)

At the heart of this world is Grandpa Martin Vanderhof (played by Ray Anthony Thomas), who quietly anchors the madness as the IRS harasses him, fireworks explode in the basement, and G-Men raid his house. His gentle reminder that "Life is kind of beautiful if you let it come to you" resonates throughout the production. It's not delivered as a slogan, but as a lived philosophy.

Grandpa Vanderhof walked away from a joyless job and now feeds the snakes in the park and treats every guest at his table as if they belong there. Hearing that message in this season -- when the holidays often amplify both financial strain and family tension -- feels especially timely. The show invites us to consider whether, instead of forcing life to match our plans, we might find more beauty in letting it "come to us," with a little more patience and grace.

You Can't Take It with You stars Trevor Johnson (left) as Paul Sycamore and Jim Bray as Mr. De Pinna (photo by Huth Photo)

Directed with brisk, playful energy by Nathaniel P. Claridad, this PlayMakers Rep production leans into the script's mix of screwball chaos and genuine warmth. The central story is simple: Alice Sycamore falls in love with Tony Kirby, the son of her wealthy, buttoned-up boss, and decides to introduce him to her wildly eccentric family. What follows is a collision between two value systems -- one obsessed with status and financial security, the other dedicated to doing what you love and enjoying the people around you.

The cast works beautifully together as an ensemble, but several performances stand out. For me, Julia Gibson's portrayal of the flighty Penelope Sycamore stole more than a few scenes. She balances Penelope's absent-mindedness with genuine warmth, so her every half-finished play and offhand comment feels rooted in love rather than mere silliness.

You Can't Take It with You at PlayMakers Rep stars Julia Gibson as Penelope Sycamore (photo by Huth Photo)

Delaney Jackson as Alice Sycamore and Reez Bailey as Tony Kirby make a tender and attractively screwy "Romeo and Juliet" at the center of this comedy -- their chemistry gives the play its emotional stakes. Mengwe Wapimewah, as the perpetually soused actress Gay Wellington, and Gwendolyn Schwinke, as the larger-than-life Russian Grand Duchess Olga Katrina, bring extra sparkle and guffaws to the production whenever they appear.

Visually, the production creates a home that is overflowing with life. Daniel Zimmerman's set is one of the most beautiful that I have seen in some time -- rich, warm, and filled with delightful, quirky furnishings. Every corner of the stage feels purposeful: stacks of games, odd bits of art, musical instruments, and unexpected objects that hint at hobbies and histories.

You Can't Take It with You at PlayMakers Rep stars Reez Bailey as Tony Kirby and Delaney Jackson as Alice (photo by Huth Photo)

This set creates the kind of environment where your eyes never stop roaming, because there is always one more charming detail to notice. Kathy A. Perkins' lighting design and Derek A. Graham's sound design support the tonal shifts nicely, moving from gentle domestic moments to frantic farce without losing coherence.

For a long show, the evening moves quickly. The first act is dense with character introductions and running gags, which may feel a bit old-fashioned at times; but once the disastrous dinner and late-night raid arrive, the production hits a comfortable stride. The final scenes, especially those circling Grandpa Vanderhof's philosophy that you really can't take it with you, are played simply and honestly. They avoid easy sentimentality while still letting the message land: money and success are poor substitutes for joy, freedom, and love.

In a season when many of us are watching our budgets and doomscrolling the news, You Can't Take It with You offers something gentle but subversive. It suggests that the most radical thing that we can do may be to step back from the rat race, sit down at the table, and cherish the people in front of us. Grandpa Vanderhof's reminder that "Life is kind of beautiful if you let it come to you" turns out to be an important message, not just for the Sycamores, but for all of us -- especially at the holidays.

Moss Hart and George F. Kaufman's YOU CAN'T TAKE IT WITH YOU (In Person at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday-Friday, 2 and 7:30 p.m. Saturday, and 3 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 23, 25, 26, and 28-30 and Dec. 3-7), directed by Nathaniel P. Claridad and starring (in alphabetical order) Reez Bailey as Tony Kirby, Dawson Boudreaux as Mr. De Pinna, Jeffrey Blair Cornell as Boris Kolenkhov, Matthew Donahue as Ed, Elizabeth Dye as Essie, Julia Gibson as Penelope Sycamore, Douglas S. Hall as Mr. Kirby, Kathryn Hunter-Williams as Mrs. Kirby, Delaney Jackson as Alice Sycamore, Jadah Johnson as Rheba, Trevor Johnson as Paul Sycamore, Nate John Mark as Donald, Caroline Marques as a Government Agent, Trevele Morgan as a Government Agent, Adam Moskowitz as Henderson, Celeste Pelletier as a Government Agent, Gwendolyn Schwinke as Olga, Ray Anthony Thomas as Martin Vanderhof, Mengwe Wapimewah as Gay Wellington (PlayMakersRepertoryCompany in the Paul Green Theatre in UNC-Chapel Hill's Joan H. Gillings Center for Dramatic Art). DIGITAL PLAYBILLS: https://online.fliphtml5.com/gtelh/nzvv/#p=1. Mobile Version: https://playmakersrep.org/playbill-for-you-cant-take-it-with-you/. Desktop Version: TRAILERS: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=71w-q1XpcDY&t=1s. FEATURETTE: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xaetUtW2mRQ&t=2s. PRESENTER: https://playmakersrep.org/, https://www.facebook.com/playmakersrep, https://www.instagram.com/playmakersrep/, https://www.tiktok.com/@playmakersrep, https://x.com/playmakersrep https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PlayMakers_Repertory_Company, and https://www.youtube.com/@PlayMakersRepertory. 2025-26 SEASON: https://playmakersrep.org/season/2025-2026/. PRC BLOG: https://playmakersrep.org/about-us/our-blog/. VENUE: https://playmakersrep.org/about-us/paul-green-theatre and https://unchistory.web.unc.edu/building-narratives/paul-green-theatre/. DIRECTIONS/PARKING: https://playmakersrep.org/visitor-info/directions-and-parking/. YOU CAN'T TAKE IT WITH YOU (1936 Broadway comedy [full title: You Can't Take It with You: A Comedy in Three Acts] and winner of the 1937 Pulitzer Prize in Drama): https://www.dramatists.com/cgi-bin/db/single.asp?key=1163, https://www.concordtheatricals.com/p/7433/you-cant-take-it-with-you, https://www.ibdb.com/broadway-show/you-cant-take-it-with-you-9527, https://stageagent.com/shows/play/4036/you-can-t-take-it-with-you, and https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/You_Can%27t_Take_It_with_You_(play). THE SCRIPT (excerpts): https://books.google.com/books. STUDY GUIDE (Utah Shakespeare Festival): https://www.bard.org/study-guides/you-cant-take-it-with-you-study-guide/. MOSS HART (New York City-born playwright and screenwriter, 1904-61): https://www.concordtheatricals.com/a/1781/moss-hart, https://www.ibdb.com/broadway-cast-staff/moss-hart-6153, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0366454/, and https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moss_Hart. GEORGE S. KAUFMAN (Pittsburgh, PA-born playwright and screenwriter, nee George Simon Kaufman, 1889-1961): http://www.georgeskaufman.com/index.html, https://www.concordtheatricals.com/a/1827/george-s-kaufman, https://www.ibdb.com/broadway-cast-staff/george-s-kaufman-5827, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0442151/, and https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_S._Kaufman. CONTENT ADVISORY: PlayMakers Rep cautions that this show is "Recommended for ages 8 and up. Younger audiences may find this play too conversation-driven. You Can't Take It with You contains mild language and conflict." For details, click here and scroll down to the CONTENT TRANSPARENCY (SPOILERS AHEAD) section. RELATED EVENTS: For details, click here and scroll down to the Special Performances section. NOTE: Arts Access, Inc. of Raleigh will audio-describe and sign-language interpret the show's 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 3rd, performance. TICKETS: $20 and up, plus taxes and fees. Click here to buy tickets. INFORMATION: 919-962-7529 or prcboxoffice@unc.edu. PLEASE DONATE TO: PlayMakers Repertory Company. Quinn Barbaza's Triangle Review Review Permalink.

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