JACKSON, Tenn. — March 6, 2020 — The 51社区 Theatre will present 鈥淵ou Can鈥檛 Take It With You,鈥� a comedy by Moss Hart and George S. Kaufman, March 13-17 in the W.D. Powell Theatre.
The play鈥檚 director is Crista Wilhite, who graduated from Union with a theater degree in May 2019 and now teaches at Augustine School in Jackson. Wilhite said the play is about a hilarious family of fierce individualists, each of whom has found his or her passion and is pursuing it wholeheartedly 鈥� whether that be ballet, playwriting, building fireworks or collecting snakes.
In the midst of this domestic chaos, Wilhite continued, the family鈥檚 youngest daughter falls in love with the son of an upstanding, 鈥渘ormal鈥� family, and they are coming over for dinner.
鈥淭his is a heart-warming and side-splitting story,鈥� Wilhite said. 鈥淲e are constantly laughing in rehearsals, and it just keeps getting funnier.鈥�
The cast and crew of this production consists of students both new and established on the Union stage; retired Union professor of theater, David Burke; and Union alumni Rebecca Maupin, Ian Malone and Blake Staples.
鈥淚t鈥檚 been really rewarding watching this diverse cast come together, and you can really see this feeling of family and fellowship developing between them onstage and off,鈥� Wilhite said.
Wilhite said in addition to being funny and enjoyable, the show carries an important message about these family members who work hard to pursue their passions.
鈥淚 think putting that effort into the desires that the Lord has given you to do 鈥� regardless of worldly standards of success or finance, but just doing things because that鈥檚 what you were made to do and that鈥檚 what you enjoy 鈥� I just think it鈥檚 really great for college kids and for adults, anyone to see,鈥� she said.
Show times are at 7:30 p.m. March 13-14 and 16-17, with a March 15 matinee at 2:30 p.m. Tickets are available for purchase online at uu.edu/theatre, by calling the box office at (731) 661-5105 or at the door.