Performers for Theatre Audition "You Can’t Take It With You"

Lead Role. The daughter of Martin Vanderhof, mother of Essie and Alice, and wife of Paul, Penny is the fluttery, gentle lady of the house. She writes plays and paints as hobbies because it makes her happy, but is terrible at both. Penny is a loving mother and wife and is constantly concerned with the welfare of her family. Her main goal is to make sure everyone is happy, particularly her daughter Alice.

Lead Role. Preferred age: 60 and up. The patriarchal head of the family, Grandpa Martin is an eccentric happy old man, who has a long-standing “disagreement” with the Internal Revenue Service. He lives his life by the philosophy: “Don't do anything that you're not going to enjoy doing.” He goes to circuses, commencements, throws darts, and collects stamps.

Wife of Ed, daughter of Penny and Paul Sycamore, sister of Alice. She is childish. As a hobby she makes candy that Ed sells. Essie dreams of being a ballerina. She has been taking lessons from Boris Kolenkhov for 8 years and is constantly dancing across the living room, even though she’s not very good.

The maid and cook to the Sycamore family. She is dating Donald.

The husband of Penelope and father of Essie, Paul Sycamore is in his mid-fifties, but with a kind of youthful air. His quiet charm and mild manner are distinctly engaging. However, under that unassuming exterior lies a man who lives for his fireworks–the ones he manufactures in the cellar with his assistant Mr. De Pinna.

The eccentric iceman who came inside to speak to Paul five years before, and never left. He helps Mr. Sycamore build fireworks, and moonlights as a model in Mrs. Sycamore's paintings.

The husband of Essie, Ed is a meek young man in his mid-thirties. He is a xylophone player, and distributes Essie's candies. Ed is an amateur printer who prints anything that sounds good to him.

The boyfriend of Rheba, who seems to serve as volunteer handyman for the Sycamores.

Daughter of Paul and Penny, Granddaughter of Martin, sister of Essie. She the only "normal" family member. She has an office job in a Wall Street office, and is rather embarrassed by the eccentricities of her family when she has her fiancé Tony and his parents at her house, yet she still loves them.

An employee of the IRS. He comes to collect the tax money owed by Grandpa, and can't understand why the latter won't pay income tax.

Fiancé of Alice, Son of Mr. and Mrs. Kirby. Tony, a personable young man, is the vice president of his father’s company. His own family is very proper and has many issues none of them will admit.

Essie’s dance teacher, Boris Kolenkhov is a hearty, explosive, Russian ballet-master. He is the ballet instructor of Essie, aware that she is untalented at dancing, but knows that she enjoys dancing so he keeps working with her.

An actress whom Mrs. Sycamore meets on a bus and invites home to read one of her plays. She is an alcoholic, gets very drunk and passes out shortly after arriving at the Sycamore's home.

Tony’s father and Alice’s boss in the Wall Street office, Mr. Kirby is a successful businessman who wants his son to follow in his footsteps; he is very proper man and disapproves of the Vanderhof family and of his son’s engagement to Alice.

Wife of Mr. Kirby, mother of Tony. She is an extremely prim and proper woman and is horrified by the goings-on in the Sycamore household.

Former Grand Duchesses of Russia, recently forced to flee to America where she has found work as a waitress in Childs Restaurant. The rest of her family has had a similar fate, such as her Uncle Sergei, the Grand Duke, who is now an elevator man. Russian accent is desired.

Three agents who come to investigate Ed because of the communist things he prints up.