Thunder River Theatre Company (TRTC) will be premiering their third production of the 2022/23 season, “You Can’t Take it With You”, on Feb. 17. The show will run for three weekends, through March 3.
The story centers around a conflict between two families with drastically different outlooks on life, the Sycamores and the Kirbys. Their fates become entwined when the oldest son of the Kirbys falls in love with the daughter of the Sycamores. The core message of the show will leave audiences thinking hard about their life and how they strive for happiness, according to director Missy Moore.
This classic three-act comedy by playwrights Moss Hart and George S. Kaufman originally premiered on Broadway in 1936 and was adapted to the big screen in 1938. It features a jam-packed cast of 19. The show is often performed in high school theater programs, as casts this large are difficult to come by, making it one of the most-played productions among young thespians.
Audiences can expect to see several familiar Roaring Fork Valley performers, as well as several newcomers. The talents include Trary Maddalone, Cassidy Willey, Gabrielle Bailes, Christopher Wheatley, William LeDent, Gerald DeLisser, Micha Schoepe, Sophia Kai-Higbie, Joshua Adamson, Elijah Pettet, Owen O’Farrell, Allison Fifield, Lee Sullivan, Toddy Walters, Nina Gabianelli, Travis Wilson, Damian Smith and Tom Karrel.
Bob Moore will also appear in this production. In a fun twist of the long-running history of the Moore family’s involvement with theater, this will be the first time Bob is directed in a show by his daughter, Missy.
The Moores and five other cast members sat down with The Sopris Sun to discuss their roles and what they’re most looking forward to with this upcoming “feel-good” show.
“This play is about striving to find your own happiness, and it doesn’t matter what you do. Be it through your hobbies, be it through love, be it through whatever choice how you choose to live your life,” stated Missy.
Piggybacking off that, Wiley told us that this production is “infectious” and will be refreshing for audiences to see. “This play is full of joy, joy, joy. To be part of an ensemble this large, we don’t get this opportunity very often, especially once you get out of school plays, to really show up in a room with so many of our friends and just play. It’s awesome,” she said.
When asked about working with a cast of this size, each ensemble member echoed the sentiments of Bob in that the rehearsal process has been akin to “herding cats.”
“There’s a lot of ideas which can be very good, and also, ‘let’s choose two ideas instead of 20,’” stated Kai-Higbie. “There’s so much going on. It’s so much fun. It is more difficult, but it’s so interesting to get to do that outside of a musical.”
Bailes felt similarly, saying that it has been a “wonderful learning opportunity” to watch her castmates work. “It’s great to have such a strong sense of artistic community,” she said. “It’s the reason I’m here. It takes a while to find your home, but when we do find one, it’s awesome. I love that we can see what a beautiful and healthy, happy family looks like [in this show] because we always see tension and drama. So to have loving behavior modeled was just amazing.”
Due to the large set and slightly limited seating, director Missy Moore encouraged the community to get their tickets to the show early. Because “You Can’t Take it With You” is running for three weekends, there are plenty of opportunities to come and see this show.
In the words of cast member Travis Wilson, it’s a “good laugh” with a “great message.”
“If you’re in need of something lighthearted and a sort of epiphany with your life, I highly recommend coming to see it,” he stated.
For more information and tickets, visit www.thunderrivertheatre.com