Lakewood Theatre Company opens its next production Sept. 11 with "You Can't Take It With You," the 1936 Pulitzer Prize-winning screwball comedy by Moss Hart and George S. Kaufman, on the 220-seat Headlee Mainstage at 368 S. State St.
Director Don Alder told the West Linn Tidings the play still resonates nine decades after its Broadway debut during the Great Depression.
"In a way it's nice to revisit it because there's a lot of sadness in the world but it's nice to visit these people that are happy to be together and having a good time," Alder said.
The plot follows a family of eccentrics whose hobbies range from making fireworks to collecting snakes. Nobody in the household cares much about money.
Trouble arrives when granddaughter Alice falls for Tony Kirby, a young man from a wealthy Wall Street family, and his strait-laced parents come to dinner. Culture clashes, fireworks and a police raid follow.
Lakewood's press materials describe the comedy as touching on distrust of government, domestic terrorism and fear of foreign conflicts. Alder compared the writing style to the Marx Brothers: fast-talking dialogue, quick wit and strong one-liners.
According to BroadwayWorld, the production runs through Oct. 18. Performances are Thursdays through Saturdays at 7:30 p.m. and Sundays at 2 p.m. Additional Saturday matinees are scheduled Sept. 26 and Oct. 10 at 2 p.m., with a Wednesday evening show Sept. 30 at 7:30 p.m.
Robert Lovitz leads the cast as Grandpa Vanderhof. Marilyn Stacey plays Penny, Todd Hermanson plays Paul Sycamore, and Taylor Jean Grady and Noah Matthew Rich play the young couple Alice and Tony Kirby.
The creative team includes scenic designer Chris Whitten, lighting designer Demetri Pavlatos and costume designer Janelle Sutton. Steve Knox produces.
Adult tickets are listed at $47, according to BroadwayWorld, with discounts for students and groups. Reservations are available through the box office at 503-635-3901.
The show is the second production of Lakewood's 74th season, following the musical "Hands on a Hardbody," which closed Aug. 16. The center is also preparing for its 75th anniversary season in 2027-28.
Executive Director Andrew Edwards said in an Aug. 22 Lake Oswego Review article that September programs remain on schedule despite cleanup from a faulty fire sprinkler that went off in the building's preschool rooms in early August.
Upcoming at Lakewood Center for the Arts
- "You Can't Take It With You": Sept. 11–Oct. 18, Headlee Mainstage, 368 S. State St., Lake Oswego. Tickets: $47 adults. Box office: 503-635-3901.
