ELLSWORTH – When people fall in love, it’s not uncommon for them to wonder how their families will get along, especially if the families are completely different.

Ellsworth High School’s drama students will explore that dynamic in this spring’s show, “You Can’t Take it With You.”

Directed by Ellsworth Middle School English teacher Kim Catron, she chose the classic comedy in part because it could accommodate a large cast.

“I left Massachusetts seven years ago to move here and ‘You Can’t Take It With You’ was the last play I saw performed at the high school where I taught,” Catron said. “Call it a bit of nostalgia for me, I guess.”

The show tells the story of the eccentric Vanderhofs meeting the “normal” and successful Kirby family, who come from Wall Street money, during an engagement party for Alice Vanderhof and Tony Kirby. Alice is often mortified by her strange, yet lovable family and their shenanigans. Of course, the meeting doesn’t go smoothly or as planned, resulting in a hilarious chain of events that eventually leads to life lessons learned by all. All the money in the world doesn’t buy or guarantee happiness, according to Grandpa Vanderhof.

“You’ve got all the money you need,” Grandpa says in the play. “And what’s it got you? Same kind of mail every morning, same kind of deals, same kind of meetings, same dinners at night, same indigestion. Where does the fun come in? Don’t you think there ought to be something more … We haven’t got too much time, you know, any of us.”

While this is Catron’s first play directed at EHS, she has directed two middle school musicals: “Shrek” and “Frozen Jr.,” which as cancelled two weeks before the show date due to Covid.

“I have also helped with choreography at the high school for ‘Beauty and the Beast’, ‘The Wizard of Oz,’ and ‘Anything Goes,’” she said.

The cast will perform the classic production that has been known and loved across the world since 1934. However, one line has been removed.

“I did, however, cut a line about taking the cats offstage, since I was not about to use live cats in the show!” Catron said.

Cast and crew have been rehearsing since January, meeting about three night per week for two to 2.5 hours at a time. But as with any school theater production, the biggest challenge has been getting the cast together due to schedule conflicts.

“Between high schoolers being involved in sports with practices and games, work and other activities, it was difficult,” Catron said. “In reality, we only ever had the entire case together before opening night twice!”

Challenges are accompanied by rewards. Catron finds it fun and rewarding to watch the students onstage in character hitting their lines. She advises attendees to keep an eye out for Mr. DiPinna’s funny costume and a much anticipated wrestling scene. And one fun fact: A painting of a woman on the back wall is an oil painting of Catron’s mother, given to her by Catron’s father on their one-year anniversary.

“They have now been married for 57 years!” Catron said. “They recently downsized and moved to Florida, so I took it.”

Showtimes are at 7 p.m. Thursday, April 13 through Saturday, April 15 at Ellsworth High School Cafetorium (323 W. Hillcrest St.) General admission tickets, available at the door, are $3 for students and $5 for adults. Doors will open at 6:15 p.m. The show is two hours and 10 minutes long with no intermission, suggested for ages 12 and older.

Cast and crew

Essie - Jocelyn Boyle

Penelope Sycamore - Bre Sympson

Rheba - Isabelle Lane

Paul Sycamore - Louis Jahnke

Mr. De Pinna - Jurell Gooden

Edward - Brett Unser

Donald - Carter Pierce

Grandpa (Martin Vanderhof) - Landen Lee

Alice Sycamore - Betsy Foster

Henderson - Mason Tri

Tony Kirby - Lander Levers

Boris Kolenkhov - Josie Pechacek

Gay Wellington - Pearl Shelly

Mr. Kirby - Josh Kelly

Mrs. Kirby - Shaye Quade

The Man - Lily Clark

Mac - Carly Girdeen

Jim - Loralei Johnson

Olga - Jorja Hince

Stage Managers - Marissa Early, Ady Oelker, Jenna Early

Light Manager - Halle Schmidt

Prop Manager - Axel Simonson, Hunter Davis

Sound Manager - Jordan Perez, Bailey Oleson

Mic Manager - Jordan Perez, Jenna Early

Costumes - Bailey Oleson, Olivia Gibson

Makeup - Nina Augustine, Mikayla Denberu 

Photographer - Rebekah Conrad