Comedy classic YOU CAN’T TAKE IT WITH YOU takes the stage
If you’re ready to grin until your face hurts and escape the daily grind, then QCT is the place to be thanks to the zany comedy You Can’t Take It with You.
Join three generations of the Sycamore family—with passions ranging from ballet dancing to fireworks manufacturing—for one raucous evening in the Upper West Side of Manhattan. Although this quirky bunch may live under one roof, there’s no containing their eccentric obsessions. Unfortunately for Alice Sycamore, that’s exactly what she’s trying to do as she strives to impress her fiancé. Add fireworks, the IRS, an inebriated actress, and a Grand Duchess of Russia, and you have a laugh-out-loud comedy that is the perfect break from “ordinary” life.
“This is one of the most endearing plays ever written,” says Director Brandon Thomsen. “I first saw it when I was a small child and thought it was the funniest thing I had ever seen. Now as an adult I not only still laugh at the Sycamores’ antics, but I also appreciate their life philosophy to live your best life.”
This witty classic won both a Pulitzer Prize as a play and two Academy Awards as a movie (Best Picture and Best Director). It continues to win over audiences as a relevant heartfelt nod to screwball families and eccentrics everywhere.
Join in on the fun for one unforgettable story!
18 local performers from Loraine, Macomb, Payson, and Quincy in Illinois and Palmyra in Missouri create this can’t-miss comedy. Of these, three are new to the QCT stage.
The cast includes Kristie Bradshaw as Penelope “Penny” Sycamore; Emily Dozier as Alice Sycamore; Shelby Rees as Essie Carmichael; Kristen Houston as Rheba; Susan Scholz as Miriam Kirby; Barbara Fry as The Grand Duchess Olga Katrina; Lisa Crocker as Gay Wellington; Darwin Smith as Martin “Grandpa” Vanderhof; Wesley Hudson as Tony Kirby; Josh Carlson as Anthony W. Kirby; Justin Crouch as Boris Kolenkhov; Riley as Paul Sycamore; Luke Lawson as Ed Carmichael; Glenn Stehl as Mr. De Pinna; and Mark Hespen as Donald; completing the cast are an ensemble of IRS G-Men: Joe Osier, Mason Ellison, and David Samuels.
You Can’t Take It With You is under the direction of Brandon Thomsen, with scenic and lighting design by Lorne Kelley, costume design by Valerie Hernandez, properties design by Marlene Kipley, and stage management by Sue Osier.
Audiences are invited to “Meet the Cast” at the post-show talkback following the performance on Friday, May 17.
You Can’t Take It With You tickets are $20-22, on sale now. Performances are May 10-11 & 16-19, Thursday-Saturday at 7:30 PM and Sunday at 2:00 PM. Seating is reserved.
For tickets, or to volunteer as an usher, visit 1qct.org or call the QCT Box Office, located in the Oakley-Lindsay Center, at 217.222.3209. You can also sign up to volunteer online.
You Can’t Take It With You is sponsored by BlueCross BlueShield of Illinois, Herald-Whig, and WGEM. QCT’s 2019 Season is sponsored by Gardner Denver. This program is partially supported by a grant from the Illinois Arts Council Agency.
About Quincy Community Theatre
Quincy Community Theatre (QCT) is a major theatrical resource for the Tri-State area, offering five major productions, three student productions, various touring performances, and a variety of workshops and classes each year. Showcasing local performers from the entire Tri-State Region since 1923, QCT uses the combined talents and resources of the community to celebrate, promote, and perform the dramatic arts in its first-rate facility. Quincy Community Theatre is a member of the Quincy Society of Fine Arts, the Illinois Theatre Association, the American Association of Community Theatre, and Arts Alliance Illinois. QCT is a 501(c)3 nonprofit. QCT programming is supported in part by a grant from the Illinois Arts Council. The 2019 Season is sponsored by Gardner Denver. QCT’s 2019 Media Sponsors are STARadio, Spectrum Reach, WGEM, Herald-Whig, and KHQA. For information about shows and classes or to purchase tickets, please visit www.1qct.org or call the Box Office at 217.222.3209.