Photo by Will Scott ’15
As the cramped hallway fills with students from all over the Dallas area, time slows to a halt and seconds begin to feel like hours. Until a name breaks the anxious silence, only nervous chatter can be heard from the other skittish students. Once auditions finish and directors praise your performance, the next three hours comprise of constantly refreshing the Facebook page in a futile attempt to distract yourself until the big news breaks.
From seasoned seniors to frightened freshmen, almost 75 actors auditioned for Jesuit Stage and Film’s latest production, You Can’t Take it With You. With a time limit of sixty seconds, students were encouraged simply to make the directors laugh. Auditions varied from hilarious comedic monologues to spur-of-the-moment impromptu stories. Due to the abnormally large number of actors, auditions lasted until 6:30 p.m., accommodating both seasoned pros and more petrified students.
In addition to the extended audition hours, a plethora of new talent was introduced to the program, with several roles filled by actors participating in Stage and Film for the first time. Andrew Morris ‘16 was ecstatic to land role in the play and become “a part of the amazing theater family.”
The play stars the families of Alice Sycamore and Tony Kirby, whose hasty attempts at a cordial dinner result in catastrophe, creating a phenomenal show filled with laughs. Alonso Espinosa ’16, one of the lead characters, posed the question “Why else should you see a show other than to be entertained?” He plays Grandpa, a man who “keeps snakes, hates income tax, and does what he wants.” Grandpa’s laid-back and eccentric habits create a hysterical dynamic between the families.
Director Chris Patterson promises this year’s comedy “will be an interesting deviation from what the program has been doing.” After several years of farcical and mocking comedy, this year’s more Broadway-style script allows for a different approach to humor. Allowing for both experimentation and characterization, You Can’t Take It With You gives a freedom of exploration to the actors. Nicholas Dart ’16 shared that he “can’t wait to make people laugh” during this performance season, preparing to take the stage in a very different light than his role as Salieri in “Amadeus.”
After hours of waiting, the cast list was uploaded at 8:40 p.m., ensuring another successful show from the program. The full cast list is enclosed below:
Student Directors: Jake Maras & Kieran Taylor
Student Producers & Stage Managers: Madison Williams & Alex Motter
Cast:
Martin Vanderhop (Grandpa) – Alonso Epinosa-Dominguez & James Butterfield
Paul Sycamore – Dow Zabolio & Carlos Cabre
Penelope Sycamore – Anna Zagorksi & Rubie Loman
Alice – Madison Murrah & Arianna Cadeddu
Ed – Zach Richardson & Carson Ward
Essie – Meghan Harshaw & Brittany Wierman
Rheba – Anna Ruzicka & Tess Jackson
Donald – Joseph Duebner & Chris Ayres
Mr. De Pinna – Cameron Schutze & Sam Cormier
Tony Kirby – Gino Piomonte & Jack Matthews
Mr. Kirby – Nicholas Dart & Caleb Blais
Mrs. Kirby – Nohea Hartman & Alexis Farrell
Boris Kolenkhov – Andrew Morris & Gavin Loera
Henderson (IRS Agent) – Jared Butler & Spencer Grant
IRS Assistant – Campbell Fearing & Santiago Arenas
Gay Wellington – Brittany Wierman & Molly Maxwell
Federal Agent #1 (Speaking) – Martin Flores & Garrett Alldredge
Federal Agent #2 (Speaking) – Henry Percy & Darrell Briscoe
Federal Agent #3 – Luke Lewis & Noah Frey
Federal Agent #4 – Preston Schwartz & Nicholas Villareal
Duke – Jose Torrealba & Austin Littleton
Congratulations to all those cast in You Can’t Take It With You! For anyone else interested in participating in the program, auditions for the spring films will take place February 24th after school.
