About You Can't Take It With You

Grandpa Vanderhof and his wacky family, the Sycamores, have been happily living their
zany lives in his house by Columbia University in New York for many years. This family
(and their friends) are a madcap group of eccentrics, marching to the beat of their own
drum, with pride and joy. Their hobbies include collecting snakes, building fireworks in
the basement, writing a myriad of plays that never get published, and taking ballet
lessons. Things like stress, jobs, and paying taxes to the government are for other
people, not for them! But when practical young Alice Sycamore becomes engaged to
her company’s Vice President Tony Kirby, the Vanderhof/Sycamore clan must
straighten up to meet the new in-laws. Disaster ensues when the Kirbys arrive at the
wrong time and, despite the best laid plans, see Alice’s family in all of its crazy glory.
The evening ends with everyone in the house getting arrested, and Alice ending the
engagement. It isn’t until Grandpa’s wise speech to Mr. Kirby about the importance of
living life to the fullest that the two families find a way to accept each other, and love
conquers all. You Can’t Take It With You is a madcap, idealistic comedy that reinforces
the idea that you can only live life to the fullest by doing whatever makes you happy.

Conifer High School