On Friday, March 24th and Saturday, March 25th, the Science Hill Theater Department hosted their spring production You Can’t Take It With You. Taking place in the auditorium, the comedy set in the 1930s tells the tale of the quirky Sycamore family and the motley group of characters that surround them and their home. In the Sycamore house, one can find anything from homemade fireworks to domesticated snakes to Russian propaganda. The one thing that is nowhere to be found is anyone with an actual job. However, the family is quite content with their odd lifestyle. Their household’s days are instead filled with creating art, taking in strangers and doing as they please- a stark contrast to the hard work mentality of the 30s. 

A massive success, the show was met with recurring laughter and a standing ovation. “On a scale of one to ten: Eleven!” states first time audience member and Science Hill junior Katelyn Johnson after viewing the performance. 

 Long in the making, the cast and crew have been hard at work rehearsing 3 times a week since January. The performance was eagerly awaited by Science Hill drama devotees as this was the first production that the theater department has held in the auditorium since 2019. 

“Being able to be back in that environment and perform for such a large crowd is just such an amazing experience for our program and I’m so glad we can be back to doing shows in a regular way,” said senior actor Taryn Estes, who played Alice Sycamore.

The Science Hill theater department has provided a unique community and an outlet for new connections among a diverse group of students. The cast was not limited to Showstoppers, with many members having no prior connection to the theater department. Every actor brought something different to the table, with comedic timing, stage presence, and personality.

“It’s such a unique cast of people; we have all age ranges freshman to senior represented, and I was really curious as to how it would come together- and we actually work really, really well together” said Estes. 

 Director and Science Hill theater teacher Hunter Graybeal praises the benefits of opening up the cast to all students. 

“We find that we get a lot of surprise talent,” Graybeal notes.

You Can’t Take It With You is not the typical high school production. The obscure nature of the play meant that the audience’s reaction was authentic, with the jokes and plot twists coming as a surprise. 

“We get to put on plays that we just really want to do and we don’t feel too much of an obligation to do shows that are just the same popular shows everywhere else.” Graybeal states.

All in all, You Can’t Take It With You is yet another reminder of the unique and successful theater program at Science Hill High School. To find out more about the theater department or future productions at Science Hill, contact Mr. Graybeal ([email protected])