YOU CAN'T TAKE IT WITH YOU AUDITIONS

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Directed and produced by Katherine Turner 

You Can’t Take it with You is the epitome of the Situation Comedy. Kaufman and Hart created the Vanderhof/Sycamore Family who live their lives in a wonderful, creative world of constant improvisation – Yes, And! A typewriter arrives and plays are written. People enter their home and stay – why not! Living near Columbia University, Martin Vanderhof, Grandpa, visits Commencement Ceremonies, listening to speeches, watching the graduates, and feeling glad that he is not young anymore.

The youngest daughter, Alice, is the only one that seems to be living what one might call “a normal life”. She goes out to work each day in an office while her older sister, Essie, dances and makes candy, her brother-in-law, Ed, delivers the candy, plays the xylophone, and prints slogans added to the boxed candy, her father, Paul, makes fireworks, and her mother, Penny, writes plays or paints. The family dinners are usually what is at hand from cereal to hot dogs or whatever. There is much love in the home and people are welcomed, embraced, and just stay j like Mr. De Pinna or a milkman that stayed until he died. Oh, and there are snakes in the dining room.

The situation is challenged when Alice falls in love with Tony Kirby, her boss’s son. Mr. Kirby is a high-powered Wall Street businessman. Alice wants to invite the Kirby’s to dinner to meet her family as marriage is desired and the families would be united. Tony is his own man and does not want to be his father, so he brings his family to dinner, a day early. Talk about fireworks exploding!

April 4, 5, 10, 11, 12, 17 and 18, 2025 at 8 p.m.
April 6, 13 and 19, 2025 at 2 p.m. 

Venue: Scarborough Village Theatre, 3600 Kingston Rd (NE corner of Kingston and Markham)

Auditions

Monday, January 20, 2025 from 7:00 – 10:00 p.m.

Tuesday, January 21, 2025 from 7:00 – 10:00 p.m.

Wednesday, January 22, 2025 from 7:00 – 10:00 p.m.

Callbacks (if required)

Sunday, January 26, 2025 from 1:00 – 5:00 p.m.

If you are auditioning, please keep this date open until advised otherwise. Please be prepared to be available for the full four hours. Callbacks ​will consist of scenes from the show. We ask that you be available for the full time.  If callbacks are not required, Sunday, January 26 will be the first read through of the play.

Venue

Scarborough Players Unit -  780 Birchmount, Unit 5 (West side of Birchmount, south of Eglinton, beside the Alison’s Fine Foods). There is parking in front and near the entrance to the unit. TTC accessible by #17 Bus from Warden Station or any Eglinton West bus from Kennedy Station. However, Eglinton is under construction with the Cross-Town route and traffic can be slow from Kennedy. Please check with TTC for updates.

Please prepare a short comedic monologue – no more than 90 seconds. Something you know well. Be prepared to be re-directed. 

There will be cold readings from the play. Please contact audition4sp@gmail.comfor more information about the play.
 

Once you have booked your audition, we will be sending you forms to complete at home. We also ask you to please email your resume and headshot/photo with your audition request. We will be managing contact, distancing, and numbers in the space.

Auditions must be booked in advance

To request an audition send an email to  audition4sp@gmail.com  indicating your preferred audition date and time(s) AND the role(s) in which you are interested.

Auditions are booked in 10-minute slots. 

First read-through: If callbacks are not required, will be Sunday, January 26 from 1 – 5 p.m. 

If callbacks are required, the first read-through will be Tuesday, January 28 from 7:30 p.m. – 10:30 p.m.

Most rehearsals will be held on Tuesday and Thursday evenings, 7:30 – 10:30 p.m. and Sundays, 1 – 5 p.m. 

Some rehearsals and all performances are at Scarborough Village Theatre, 3600 Kingston Road (at Markham Road).

Additional rehearsals may be added as we move closer to the production opening, especially the week of opening. You will be asked to please list ANY potential conflicts. The production will be adjudicated in the Act-Co Festival on Sunday, April 6, 2025 matinee 

Playing ages are an indication only, but also illustrate the age relative to other roles

We will be using the alternate version of the play which has been authorized by the Estate welcoming diverse actors of all backgrounds. Inclusiveness is the essence of the extended Vanderhof Family.

Women – 7 women (female identifying)

Penelope Sycamore (Penny) 

• A delightful woman – bright colourful, loving, caring, creative and smart
• Willing to try things, embraces the lifestyle created by her father
• Loves her children, her husband, her father
• She is in her late 40’s early 50’s 
• She has “the divine urge”

Essie Carmichael – needs to dance always and not particularly well

• Penny’s oldest daughter
• Married to Ed
• Wants desperately to become a ballet dancer, she never will but tries and tries - 
• Her real gift is candy making 
• Her age is somewhere between 25 and 28

Rheba 

• The maid
• She happily does her duties as she is happy living there
• Always gets paid
• Is treated as part of the family
• Dates Donald
• Her age range could be between 30 – 40 +

Alice Sycamore – intimacy – sharing a kiss with Tony Kirby

• Truly, madly, deeply in love with Tony Kirby
• As much as she tries to be normal, her true charm lies in the fact that she is loved  her parents and grandpa and living in the house.
• She is lovely and bright
• Her age range is between 23 and 27 years old

Gay Wellington

• An actress brought home by Penny
• Enjoys the occasional bottle of whatever
• Perhaps she will stay on
• Age is uncertain and certainly disguised
• A fun physical role

Mrs. Kirby

• Tony’s mother, married to Mr. Kirby
• Has accepted her role as Long Island Matron but desires more
• She is into spiritualism
• She is in her late 40’s – early 50’s

The Grand Duchess Olga – Russian accent needed

• An ex-patriot Russian Duchess, cousin to the dead Czar
• Friend to Kolenkhov, Essie’s dance teacher
• Enjoys the idea of a free family meal but will make blintzes when needed
• She is delightful considering all that she has survived
• She is in her 50’s

The Men- 12 men (male identifying)

Paul Sycamore

• Penny’s Husband
• A very nice man who designs fireworks in his basement
• He studied to be an architect and now builds things with Meccano
• His age is likely late 40’s – early 50’s

Mr. De Pinna – needs to feel comfortable wearing a toga

• A boarder with the Sycamores
• Also, a fireworks designer
• Came to the Vanderhof/Sycamore home and never left
• Age ranges from mid-30’s to 50’s 

Ed Carmichael

• Paul and Penny’s son-in-law, married to Essie
• Also came to the Vanderhof/sycamore home and never left
• Enjoys playing the xylophone and printing slogans
• Age ranges late 20’s to early 30’s

Donald

• Boyfriend to Rheba
• Happy to help Rheba and the family – catches flies etc. to feed the snakes
• Is out of work- The Depression – but currently likes receiving assistance to working as any money earned is clawed-back
• Similar age as Rheba

Martin Vanderhof

• The patriarch of the family 
• Quit his Wall Street job 30 years ago
• Enjoys tending to his snakes and attending commencements at nearby Columbia University
• He does have privilege – he has his large home and investments that keep the home running
• Age range late 60’s – to 70’s 

Tony Kirby – intimacy – sharing a kiss with Alice Sycamore

• A thoughtful, caring young man who happens to be the boss’s son – he wants a different life than his father
• He is truly, madly, deeply in love with Alice Sycamore and wants to marry her
• His age range is between 25 and 30

Boris Kolenkhov – Russian accent needed

• Essie’s Russian Dance teacher- he knows Essie will never be a dancer
• Would have liked to be like Nijinsky – escaped the Russian Revolution
• Always manages to give Essie her lesson near dinner time
• Loves this family – they are his family now 
• 40ish or older but physical and strong

Mr. Kirby

• Tony’s father, the boss
• Mr. Wall Street
• Raises orchids for fun
• Repressed and unhappy
• Late 40’s early 50’s 

Henderson

• IRS man who tries to find out why Martin Vanderhof has not paid income tax ever
• Officious, but confused as Grandpa is not worried or frightened by a government official
• Age ranges 30’s – 50’s

Three Men – the G Men

• The G men who have been following Ed for his revolutionary slogans
• They arrest everyone present in the home including the Kirby’s 
• They are confused but officious – doing their job!

 We endeavour to maintain a safe working environment –we recommend all participants in this production from creative staff, crews, actors, and other volunteers be fully vaccinated.

Auditions are open to anyone, regardless of background or experience, and we particularly welcome those who have been traditionally under-represented in theatre.

Scarborough Players is an inclusive community theatre company and encourages all interested individuals from all backgrounds to audition. Those auditioning must be non-equity performers and understand that this is a non-paying production. We do not enter into any contracts or agreements with CAEA or ACTRA.