Perhaps the worst thing one can do is take life too seriously.
The Sycamore family in Moss Hart and George S. Kaufman's Pulitzer Prize winning classic "You Can't Take It With You" certainly ascribe to this maxim, but that doesn't mean everyone around them does.
The perennial favorite, "You Can't Take It With You" comes to Miners Alley Playhouse, 1224 Washington Ave. in Golden, through May 1. Performances are 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday and 6 p.m. Sunday.
"This is a fresh, abstracted look at a classic play," said director Jamie Billings. "The play is from the 30's, but I think it speaks to any generation about what it is to pursue individual happiness."
In the show, the Sycamore family, led by Grandpa Vanderhof (Tim Fishbaugh) encourages all its members to freely express themselves and follow their passions. Which is all well and good, until the "normal" child Alice (Candace Joice) brings home her finance Tony Kirby Jr. (Cody Schuyler) and his straight-laced parents for dinner.
"Grandpa decided to retire 35 years early, because he was tired of the rat race, which is not for him," Fishbaugh said. "He said he's not going to put himself through the stress and let everyone follow their own bliss."
This is Billings' first time directing at Miners Alley, which has been a dream experience, she said. The biggest challenge in working at an intimate theater like Miners has been figuring out such a large cast in a small space, Billings added.
"The Miners Alley team has been so amazing. They're so collaborative," she said. "We've had to be flexible for the actors to find life and genuine truth in the world of the Sycamores in a natural way."
The cast has all been gelling wonderfully, Fishbaugh said, and this has helped bring a familial atmosphere to the proceedings. Which, in the end, is what the show is about.
"The message of being yourself is one everyone can relate to," he said. "And while it's something we all should know, it's a good message to have repeated now and then."
For more information, call 303-935-3044 or visit www.minersalley.com.
from Lakewood Sentinel - Latest Stories http://lakewoodsentinel.com/stories/Classic-play-gets-modern-day-makeover,211046
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