There’s a good reason that Moss Hart and George S. Kaufman’s comedy won awards including the Pulitzer Prize in 1937 and has had countless productions in the intervening eight decades: It’s a classic comedy with a good heart. In fact, I think it could be seen as a forerunner of today’s TV sitcoms: A funny situation — the loopy, multi-generational Sycamore family and a few others who drop in regularly — with a few zany crises that keep the pot boiling but resolve happily.
The nice thing about the Cincinnati Playhouse’s production, which wraps up this weekend, is that the various characters are played by actors who are exactly right age for the roles. Joneal Joplin, who played Ebenezer Scrooge in A Christmas Carol for many years, is back as the grandfather, Carol Schultz is the dotty mother and Tony Campisi is the dad who’s a zany inventor. There’s a love story in the midst of all this craziness between Alice, a “normal” daughter, and a young man whose parents are uptight and constrained by wealth and the business world. Sound familiar? Although the trappings are during the Depression, this is a story that resonates with today’s world. If you haven’t seen it yet, this weekend is your last chance. $25-$64. 513-421-3888.
You Can't Take It With You, presented by the Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park, continues through Nov. 13. Go here to read Rick Pender's full review.
