You Cant Take It with You

From the Dramaturg Produced by special arrangement with Dramatists Play Service, Inc. In December of 1936, You Can’t Take It With You opened on Broadway for the first time. It has since enjoyed several revivals. Written by Moss Hart and George S. Kaufman, the escapist style of this play touched the hearts of people and gave them something to laugh about at a time when they needed it the most. The American people needed comic relief from their everyday lives because the United States was in the midst of the Great Depression. Beginning with the stock market crash in October of 1929 and lasting until 1939, the Depression caused devastating financial losses in America. Many banks collapsed, and by 1933 more than 11,000 of the United States’ 25,000 banks had failed. This accelerated the downward spiral of unemployment, and by 1932 approximately one in four Americans were unemployed. Because of the nation-wide devastation of the Dust Bowl years — with widespread crop failures due to poor farming methods combined with an unusually long drought — many people were struggling with how to survive and feed their families. Comedy was very popular during this time because audiences for both live theatre and movies needed an escape from the pain and troubles of their personal lives and their worries about the nation as World War II approached. President Franklin Roosevelt said, “During the Depression, when the spirit of the people is lower than at any other time, it is a splendid thing that for just 15 cents an American can go to a movie and look at the smiling face of a baby and forget his troubles.” In spite of the struggles of life during this time, the Sycamore family has learned how to truly enjoy life and enjoy their family. Even though tough circumstances surround them, they function in such a way that it is apparent that they truly love life and won’t allow outside circumstances to bring them down. — Alyssa Denen, Dramaturg Please silence all pagers, cell phones, and wristwatch alarms. As a courtesy to the actors and those around you, do not text or instant message during the performance. PLAY ONWORDS , a study and discussion reference resource, has been prepared by the production dramaturg and is available without charge at the concessions booth in the theatre lobby. Funding for PLAY ON WORDS is provided by Alpha Psi Omega, the Cedarville University chapter of the national honorary theatre society. These extensively researched guides are provided in order to increase understanding of each play Cedarville University presents for all who share our passion for theatre.