PlayMakers Rep's You Can't
Take It with You Is a
Warm, Whimsical Triumph

PlayMakers Repertory Company's production of You Can't Take It with You reminds us why George S. Kaufman and Moss Hart's Pulitzer Prize-winning comedy has remained one of America's most beloved plays for nearly 90 years. Directed with verve and affectionate clarity by Nathaniel P. Claridad, this staging finds the joy, warmth, and screwball shimmer in a story that could easily collapse under its own chaos. Instead, PlayMakers offers a heartfelt, high-energy evening that revels in eccentricity while honoring the play's enduring message that happiness comes from living life on your own terms -- and loving the people who do the same.

The play is set entirely in the bustling New York home of the delightfully odd Vanderhof-Sycamore-Carmichael clan. Scenic designer Daniel Zimmerman's set is a character in its own right, providing an expansive wooden ballroom-turned-living-room, complete with a grand foyer, an ornate staircase, and five working doors that serve as the show's comedic launch pads. Anne Kennedy's 1930s costumes and Kathy Perkins' warm, bright lighting evoke both period charm and the home's persistent, slightly chaotic cheer. Derek A. Graham's sound design punctuates the evening with toe-tapping swing and jazz that keeps the energy elevated between scenes.

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)

At the center of the family is Ray Anthony Thomas') Grandpa Martin Vanderhof, played with understated, believable warmth. His quiet insistence on pursuing joy rather than convention anchors the play's philosophy. Around him orbits a constellation of eccentrics, each brought to life by actors who clearly relish their roles. Julia Gibson's Penelope "Penny" Sycamore is the uncontested comedic highlight of the evening. Channeling a delightful hint of Jean Stapleton's Edith Bunker, Gibson infuses Penny with earnestness, buoyancy, and a lovable lack of filter. Her every entrance brightens the stage, and her melodramatic aspirations are both ridiculous and endearing.

Trevor Johnson brings genuine sincerity to Paul Sycamore, Penny's tinkering husband whose basement fireworks lab supplies explosions, both literal and theatrical. Jim Bray's Mr. De Pinna, Paul's assistant and former iceman, delivers some of the show's biggest laughs with an Italian accent that seems lovingly plucked from vintage Mario Bros. cartoons. His antics -- often wild, always committed -- never fail to delight.

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

Elizabeth Dye's Essie is a whirlwind of slapstick delight. Nearly always dancing (despite her lack of talent), Essie becomes a kind of human metronome for the play's rhythm. Her husband Ed, played with sweet ineptitude by Matthew Donahue, complements her well. Nate John Mark's Donald and Jadah Johnson's Rheba round out the household with sharp comedic instincts and charm.

The play's romantic center rests with Alice Sycamore, the only "normal" family member, portrayed here by Delaney Jackson. Jackson strikes a perfect balance between embarrassment and deep affection for her family, making Alice's struggle -- to reconcile her love for Tony Kirby with her fear that her family's eccentricities will cost her her happiness -- feel honest and moving. Her wardrobe, a parade of beautifully tailored 1930s businesswear, is a visual treat and beckons for a retro revival.

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

Reez Bailey plays the earnest young businessman Tony Kirby with a soft, endearing awkwardness -- particularly when attempting physical affection. The chemistry between Bailey and Jackson is fresh and heartfelt. Douglas S. Hall and Kathryn Hunter-Williams shine as Tony's straightlaced, upper-crust parents. Hall's Mr. Kirby, the picture of respectable dullness, is particularly effective as a foil to the Sycamores' joyous chaos.

Among the evening's memorable supporting performances is Jeffrey Blair Cornell's uproarious Boris Kolenkhov. Cornell, a >30-year PlayMakers veteran, brings the house down with his booming voice and wonderfully stereotypical Russian accent. Gwendolyn Schwinke's Duchess Olga -- once Russian nobility, now a New York waitress -- delivers an inspiring and unexpectedly touching cameo. Mengwe Wapimewah's turn as the inebriated actress Gay Wellington is equally unforgettable: delightfully debauched, she commands the stage without ever stealing focus from the ensemble.

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

When the Kirbys arrive for dinner -- on the wrong night, thanks to Tony's well-intended spontaneity -- chaos erupts, fireworks misfire (literally), government agents (played by Adam Moskowitz, Caroline Marques, Trevele Morgan, and Celeste Pelletier) arrive with comic urgency; and Alice's worst fears are realized. Yet in typical Kaufman and Hart fashion, the mess gives way to revelation, understanding, and the reaffirmation of what matters most.

PlayMakers Repertory Company's You Can't Take It with You is a polished, heartfelt, and wonderfully uproarious production. The performances, expert design, and direction embrace the play's old-fashioned charm without letting it feel dusty, making for an evening that is both nostalgic and refreshingly alive. It's a celebration of eccentricity, family, laughter, and living life without taking it, or yourself, too seriously -- a perfect family outing for this long Thanksgiving weekend.

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)

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. 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. Cyndi Whisnant's Triangle Review Review Permalink. Susie Potter's Triangle Arts Review Review.

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