THIS 'TAKE' IS A KEEPER.Byline: Evan Henerson Theater Critic MOTHER PENNY, in artist smock and beret, is painting the middle-age ice man who is dressed, ridiculously, as a Roman discus thrower. Around them flits elder sister in tutu tutu coriariaarborea. and toe shoes - to the tunes of her xylophone- playing hubby - while her Russian dance master barks out instructions. A soused souse 1 v. soused, sous·ing, sous·es v.tr. 1. To plunge into a liquid. 2. To make soaking wet; drench. 3. To steep in a mixture, as in pickling. 4. actress is sleeping off a bender while patriarch Grandpa turns over a plot to defraud the IRS An abbreviation for the Internal Revenue Service, a federal agency charged with the responsibility of administering and enforcing internal revenue laws. . At which point Tony, the Wall Street beau of the straight-arrow younger sister, arrives with his prim and proper parents. They're here for dinner. On the wrong night. Families! Can't live with 'em. Can't bury 'em. The above tableau is the centerpiece of Moss Hart Noun 1. Moss Hart - United States playwright who collaborated with George S. Kaufman (1904-1961) Hart and George S. Kaufman's ``You Can't Take It With You,'' the acme of American screwball screw·ball n. 1. Baseball A pitched ball that curves in the direction opposite to that of a normal curve ball. 2. Slang An eccentric, impulsively whimsical, or irrational person. adj. family comedy. It also taps into the notion that every last one of us has a family black sheep black sheep n. 1. A sheep with black fleece. 2. A member of a family or other group who is considered undesirable or disreputable. or two (or in this case, a rainbow-colored sheep), or a bad in-law first meet. And if we don't, we can simply borrow a quirky Sycamore for the evening. ``You Can't ... '' was written in 1937, and it's plenty dated and a little precious. But it's also undeniably a classic. First-rate set-up, easy resolution. We know these kooks. In directing the Geffen Playhouse revival, Christopher Hart, the playwright's son, hasn't kicked any dust off a proven commodity. Would you? Not only is the play tough to kill, it's the equivalent of the Hart family jewels. Hart has cast that gaggle of lovable lunatics with a precise eye for gentle laughs. You have only to go down the program list. Among the eccentrics, there isn't really a sour performance, from Essie the dancer (a lovable Dagney Kerr), twittering twit·ter v. twit·tered, twit·ter·ing, twit·ters v.intr. 1. To utter a succession of light chirping or tremulous sounds; chirrup. 2. a. and twirling Twirling is any of several artforms, hobbies, or sport and recreational activities accomplished by spinning or rotating the twirled object either for exercise, or in a rhythmic, or otherwise artful manner. her way around the house, to Michael Laskin's bellowing bellowing see bellow. bellowing continuously in bovine rabies, continues until pharyngeal paralysis supervenes. bellowing soundlessly dance master, Kolenkov. Tony Abatemarco shines as Mr. De Pina, the ice man turned fireworks fireworks: see pyrotechnics. fireworks Explosives or combustibles used for display. Of ancient Chinese origin, fireworks evidently developed out of military rockets and explosive missiles and accompanied the spread of military explosives westward to maker and sometime artist's model, and Magda Harout does delicious double duty as the tipsy actress and the Grand Duchess of Russia who comes in late to make blintzes. More problematic - and, admittedly, less juicily written - are the straight roles. Alexandra James has some nice girl-Friday spunk as conventional daughter Alice Sycamore, but her chemistry with Chris L. McKenna's Tony is lacking. Most of the production's businesslike expository scenes - Alice and Tony's interlude, most notably - have a labored air about them and, on opening night at least, Roy Dotrice as the sensible but firmly quirky Grandpa was fumbling lines left and right. The production could use more consistent crispness of execution across the board. Hart's external packaging looks swell. The Sycamore's main chamber (designed by Gary Randall) is a wide-open rotundalike space with the various tools of the family interests (typewriter, printing press, snake cage) all prominently displayed. The production opens with a warmly lit radio flipping through stations as if sampling the fare of the age (Don Ameche, ``The Shadow,'' etc.). Not that the Sycamores would have much use for a radio. They're not exactly world-wise, and they favor making their own music. ``Your mother believes in spiritualism spiritualism: see spiritism. spiritualism Belief that the souls of the dead can make contact with the living, usually through a medium or during abnormal mental states such as trances. because it's fashionable, and your father raises orchids because he can afford to,'' a tearful Alice tells Tony, trying to explain why the Sycamores and Kirbys can never unite. ``My mother writes plays because eight years ago a typewriter was delivered here by mistake.'' Great line. Possibly the play's best. Cast the nuts with tenderness and give the proceedings a light touch and `You Can't ... '' becomes a can't miss. Evan Henerson, (818) 713-3651 evan.henerson(at)dailynews.com YOU CAN'T TAKE IT WITH YOU - Three stars Where: Brentwood Theatre, 11301 Wilshire Blvd., Brentwood. When: 7:30 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday, 8 p.m. Friday, 4 and 8:30 p.m. Saturday, 2 and 7 p.m. Sunday; through May 22. Tickets: $30 to $52. Call (310) 208-5454. In a nutshell: Long live dated eccentricity! CAPTION(S): photo Photo: Chris L. McKenna and Alexandra James play a couple whose romance must survive her screwball family in the Geffen's production of ``You Can't Take It With You.'' |
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