The quality and consistency of Rochester theater has seen
rapid growth in the last few years, buoyed by loyal audiences, experimental
show choices, and an avid performer base that comes out to audition for every
show.
But at a
certain point, the question must be asked: Does a local theater scene within a
city of Rochester’s size reach capacity — are there not enough actors or
resources? It’s a query most recently prompted by Screen Plays’ current
production, “You Can’t Take It with You,” which runs through March 18 at MuCCC.
“You Can’t
Take It with You” is a 1936 play by George S. Kaufman
and Moss Hart (the same team who wrote the slightly better-known “The Man Who
Came To Dinner”). It won the 1937 Pulitzer Prize for Best New Play, and the
1938 film version starred Lionel Barrymore and Jimmy Stewart. The plot follows
the tale of the Sycamores of New York City, an eccentric, hobby-loving family
whose youngest daughter is in love with the son of a Wall Street business
owner. When the two families meet, it proves disastrous, but over three acts —
and in this case, just over two-and-a-half hours with intermission — a saga of
acceptance and love plays out onstage.
The
storyline, however, is lost in translation during this production.
Community
theater is a special world of volunteer hours, amateur enthusiasts and
hobbyists together onstage, and of sets and props cobbled-together during tech
week. Dropping lines is almost certainly a given, and there will never be
enough men to fill the gender-specific roles. Not to mention there’s usually
some pre-casting that happens before auditions (a friend of the director wants
a role, perhaps) or ill-fitting casting choices based on the ages of available
actors.
Productions
of “You Can’t Take It with You” are classic examples of community
theater. Screen Plays is a group of folks with big hearts, and it’s
clear they really enjoy what they’re doing. However, there are a few in this
particular cast who do most of the proverbial “heavy lifting” on stage when it comes
to acting. It’s not apparent whether that’s due to experience, natural talent,
or rehearsal time.
Just a few
minutes into the play, there was stumbling over lines and character names, and
a late entrance. Actors lifted eyebrows at each other’s missed lines and (too)
lengthy pauses happened when a line was missed. Sound and light cues were also
missed, causing actors to tap dance instead of proceeding with the
corresponding line. And there was lots of overacting: affected voices, deadpan
glances at the audience, fake crying, and screaming that startles.
It’s a large
cast, and director Karen Tuccio has done her best to
spread the talent into the appropriate roles. Unfortunately, there are problems
with actors being much older than Moss and Kaufman intended for certain roles,
which feels awkward as it’s played out. But one actor (Suzanne Bell, bless her
soul) plays three different characters during the show, to hilarious effect.
Other
standouts include the always-captivating, patriarchal Roger Gans
(as Martin Vanderhof/Grandpa); charming newcomer
Derek Schneider (Tony Kirby); and comedic duo Judie D’Ambrosio
(Grand Duchess Olga Katrina) and David Byrne (Boris Kolenkhov)
as the Russian family friends. Kate Lacy-Stokoe
(Penelope Sycamore) also has some admirable comedic moments throughout the
production.
As a hobby
and an amateur art form, community theater is vital.
(And as Mr. Kirby says in the play, “I suppose every man has to have a hobby.”)
It’s where many famous performers first get a taste of the stage, after all.
Screen Plays is collecting cans for Foodlink during
the run, a nice gesture. But when the mistakes in a show detract from enjoyment
and overall content of the show, it’s time to rethink the company’s strategy in
show choices, production quality, and casting, and maybe the ticket price, too.
This article appears in Mar 13-19, 2019.
