The Cavalier daily :: Tuesday, December 16, 1969 :: University of Virginia Library

WASHINGTON - During the
past several years I have heard
much about Washington's Arena
Stage, the regional theatre which
launched Howard Sackler's award winning
play "The Great White
Hope" and Arthur Kopit's "Indians,"
both of which are now on
Broadway. But it was not until
about ten days ago that I had the
opportunity to go to the Arena for
the first - and I guarantee you not
the last - time. I was thoroughly
impressed by the theatre, the
company, and the production.

The play that is currently being
presented there is the Moss Hart -
George S. Kaufman 1936 Pulitzer
Prize comedy, "You Can't Take It
With You," which I saw at one of
its final previews. Call it pure
escapism if you wish, but it remains
a delightful look at an eccentric
American family.

The families that reside in the
home "just around the corner from
Columbia University" are harmless
and lovable. Grandpa Vanderhof
quit his job thirty-five years ago
and now spends his time going to
commencement exercises and raising
pet snakes in the living room.
His daughter, Penelope, writes plays
- because a typewriter was once
delivered there by mistake. His
son-in-law, Paul, makes fireworks in
the basement. His granddaughter
Essle fancies herself a ballet dancer,
even though her Russian dance
teacher considers her a hopeless
pupil.

The one "new" member of the
clan is Penelope and Paul's other
daughter, Alice, who becomes affianced
to the son of a wealthy and
stuffed shirt Wall Street tycoon.
Most of the play centers around
how her family's antics threaten to
ruin her connubial plans.

Until Hart and Kaufman push
across their message late in the
third act, their only aim is to
entertain - and entertain they do.
The comedy is very warm and very
witty. When I saw the APA
Repertory Company's production
of "You Can't Take It With You"
in New York four years ago, I had
the feeling the play was awfully
dated. Not so with the Arena's
version. Here it comes across as a
period piece, the mood of which is
wonderfully established by director
Alfred Ryder. 1930's music is
played and posters of Thirties'
shows are displayed to help achieve
this end.

Although written, undoubtedly,
for a proscenium stage, "You Can't
Take It With You" seems perfectly
at home in the round. Aided by an
ingenious set designed by Leo Kerz,
Mr. Ryder never lets the mass
confusion get out of hand. And
because he treats the characters as
people whose emotions and beliefs
are honest instead of comically
superficial, his production works
beautifully and is superior to the
previously noted one by the APA.

Of course, much of the credit
for this goes to the talented cast.
William Hansen's Grandpa is an
understanding and carefully drawn
portrait of an easygoing man who
refuses to get caught up in the
hustle and bustle of life. As Alice,
Pamela Dunlap is one of the
prettiest ladies I've seen on (or off)
a stage in a long while and she
perfectly captures the blithe spirit
(excuse me, Mr. Coward) of a
young woman in love. Her man is
handsomely played by T. J. Escott,
and together they make the first act
scene in which the pair becomes
engaged one of artistic poignance.

Robert Prosky is a continual joy
playing Essle's ballet instructor, as
is Max Wright (who bears a
resemblance to Don Knotts) portraying
her husband. Excellent, too,
are Howard Witt as Paul, Richard
Bauer as his fireworks partner Mr.
De Pinna, and especially Humphrey
Davis and Dorothea Hammond as
Alice's future conservative in-laws. I
also admired Helen Martin and
John Marriott as the two Negro
servants who have a good time
talking about the messes white
people get themselves into.

I was mildly dissatisfied with
Grayce Grant's interpretation of
Penelope and Phyllis Sommerville's
turn as Essle. The former does fine
except for speaking with an accent
that would be better suited to a
Jewish fishwife, while the latter,
walking like John Wayne with
saddle sores, is not quite flighty
enough.

But no matter, for this is a solid
production of a comedy classic that
offers a plentiful helping of clean,
family fun. Incidentally, at the
performance I attended, there were
many small and well-behaved children
who, surprisingly, seemed to
be getting just as big a kick out of it
all as their parents. Yes, I guess the
play has withstood the test of time.

"You Can't take It With You"
will be at the Arena through
January 11, making the Christmas
season in our nation's capital a
whole lot merrier.