You Can’t Take It With You is licensed from Concord Theatricals

You Can't Take It With You is a classic comedy play by George S. Kaufman and Moss Hart that explores the themes of family, community, individuality, wealth, and the pursuit of happiness. The story centers on the clash between the eccentric, free-spirited Sycamore family and the uptight, materialistic Kirby family when their children fall in love.

Must be 16+ years old to audition.

Auditions will be virtual only. Please prepare a video with a scene for the character(s) you are interested in being considered for. You may be asked to read additional scenes or read for additional characters.

Audition submissions due by November 14

MARTIN VANDERHOF
Age: 60-75

Also known as Grandpa. Grandpa is the heart of the home, and all the warmth and quirkiness of the other family members comes from him. He is relaxed above all else, joyful, and warm. Grandpa is clever, generous, and wanted for tax evasion, Martin is patriarch of the extended Sycamore brood. He is the definition of non-traditional and provides a welcome home to the artistic and slightly odd.

PENELOPE SYCAMORE
Age: 40-50

Penny is the definition of “whimsical” in that she only thinks in “whims.” She fancies herself a playwright and painter. The mother of Alice and Essie and the daughter of Martin, Penelope is hardworking, brilliantly creative, and frank. She writes multiple plays at a time, often concerned with less than savory subjects. She understands that Alice is different from the rest of the family, and desperately wants her to find happiness, but she has no social filter at all. During the mishap of the dinner, Penny grasps at control, trying to salvage a social disaster, and consequently making it so much worse with her unawareness.

PAUL SYCAMORE
Age: 40-50

Paul is quirky, focused, and full of joy. Husband to Penelope and father to Alice and Essie, Paul spends most of his time in the basement creating new and explosive fireworks. Paul possesses a childlike wonder, and although he loves his family dearly, he is often singularly focused on his projects.

ALICE SYCAMORE
Age: 20-25

In a family of distracted artists and erratic geniuses, Alice is remarkably “normal”. She is deeply in love with Tony, but fears that he won’t understand her non-traditional family. Although she loves her off-beat clan, Alice tries to pass them off as normal for the sake of the Kirby’s. The actress playing Alice must be able to remain grounded in the chaos of her family, and still cherish them even as they deeply embarrass her. Alice is often the straight character in the moments. But we must fall in love with her.

ESSIE CARMICHAEL
Age: 20-30

Ballet Dancer and Confectioner. Essie is soft, distracted, and ALWAYS dancing. She is often found in the kitchen experimenting on new candies. This role requires extensive dancing, and basic pointe skills are preferred.

ED CARMICHAEL
Age: 20-30

Xylophonist and Printer. Ed’s airy, innocent personality is perfectly suited to his wife, Essie. He provides much of the music that Essie dances to, and likes to block print random phrases he picks up throughout the day. Ed is one of the few members of the Sycamore family who regularly leaves the house, acting as a delivery boy for Essie’s candies. Xylophone skills are a plus. Ed should be nerdy, bizarre, and sweet.

RHEBA
Age: 20-40

Housekeeper. Although Rheba’s official job is that of a housekeeper, her culinary and cleaning skills are somewhat lackluster. Rather she functions as a champion of the various artistic pursuits occurring in the Vanderhof household. Rheba is bubbly, quick witted, and flirtatious, the favorite of both Donald and Kolenkhov. Rheba is a big personality and very very much one of the family.

DONALD
Age: 20-40

Donald is chronically unemployed and performs various odd jobs for the Sycamores. He is sweet and a little bit slow, but is fiercely loyal to Rheba and his chosen family.

DE PINNA
Age: 40-60

Mr. De Pinna is  the mailman turned pyrotechnician that assists Paul in the creation of explosives. De Pinna is Paul’s partner in crime and beloved adoptive member of the Sycamore family.

KOLENKHOV
Age: 35-55

Ballet instructor and tsarist. Kolenkhov is Essie’s tough-love Russian ballet instructor. He is aggressive, loud, and still bitter about the Bolshevik revolution. This very physical role that requires some fight choreography. A Russian accent is necessary. This actor must be able to absolutely fill a room, a huge personality and brings an enormous amount of life to the family on his frequent visits.

TONY KIRBY
Age: 20-30

Tony is young, open-minded, and deeply in love with Alice. He is vice president to his father’s Wall Street company, but finds the artistic life of the Sycamores to be much more appealing. Tony should be earnest, eager, and awkward, but grows to be a strong, independent and willing husband.

KIRBY
Age: 40-55

Mr. Kirby is Tony’s uptight, overstressed father. He has constant indigestion, and finds his only joy in the cultivation of expensive orchids. He is deeply unsettled by the alternative lifestyle of the Sycamores. This role also requires minor fight choreography.

MRS. KIRBY
Age: 40-55

Housewife. Mrs. Kirby is the wife of Mr. Kirby and the mother of Tony. She has a delicate constitution and very particular tastes, but finds emotional solace in spiritualism. She is secretly very bored by her life and would appreciate a little bit of spice in her marriage. She is extremely wealthy and completely accustomed to the simplicities of the middle class, let alone oddities of the Sycamore family.

GAY WELLINGTON
Age: 20-60

Actress. Gay Wellington is a drunken actress, brought to the Vanderhof house to perform in one of Penelope’s plays. She spends most of the play drunk and/or unconscious. She must command a stage as the role is especially physical and requires fight choreography.

OLGA KATRINA
Age: 40-60

Waitress. Olga Katerina was a Grand Duchess and cousin to Tsar Nikolai II, but now works as a waitress in a diner. Despite her reduced circumstances she holds herself with immense dignity and is still exceptionally generous. She is an amazing cook and is brought to dinner by Kolenkhov. Must be able to do a Russian accent. Olga embodies resilience, and shows us all how to rise above with a deeply-rooted joy.

HENDERSON
Age: 25-50

IRS agent. Henderson arrives at the Vanderhof house to alert Martin that he has over 20 years worth of unpaid back taxes. He leaves infuriated and perplexed by the unusual Sycamore family, who seem to play exclusively by their own rules. Henderson is uptight, frustrated, and biting.

THREE GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS
Age & Gender Flexible

These characters come to take the Sycamore’s and the Kirby’s to jail. They only have a few lines but are very physical roles.