You Can't Take It With You Audition Notice
Auditions for You Can't Take It With You will be held at The Uwharrie Players Clubhouse on Monday, January 13th and Tuesday, January 14th at 6:00pm. The Clubhouse is located at 546 E. Main Street in Albemarle, NC. Auditions will consist of readings from the script. Audition sides are posted below the character descriptions.
You Can't Take It With You will be produced at the Albemarle Neighborhood Theatre April 4-6 & 11-13, 2025.
Character Breakdown
Penelope Sycamore (female, 40+) Usually goes by Penny, Penelope is the mother of Essie and Alice, wife of Paul, and daughter of Martin. 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.
Martin Vanderhof (male, 60+) Referred to mostly as Grandpa in the play. Father-in-law to Paul, father of Penny, grandfather of Alice and Essie. He is an eccentric happy old man who has never paid his income tax because he doesn't believe in it, as he feels that the government wouldn't know what to do with the money if he paid for it. 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. A challenging role indeed.
Alice Sycamore (female, 18+) Fiancé of Tony Kirby, daughter of Paul and Penny, Granddaughter of Martin, sister of Essie. She the only "normal" family member. She has an office job and is rather embarrassed by the eccentricities of her family when she has Tony and his parents at her house, yet she still loves them. She tends to be a pessimist. Contains characteristics of love, embarrassment, and worry.
Tony Kirby (male, 18+) Fiancé of Alice, Son of Mr. and Mrs. Kirby. He sees how, even though the Sycamores appear odd, they are really the perfect family because they love and care about each other. His own family is very proper and has many issues none of them will admit. He is vice president of Kirby and Co. He is proper but adorable.
Anthony Kirby (male, 45+) Husband of Mrs. Kirby, father of Tony. He is a very proper man who is president of Kirby and Co. and secretly despises his job. His hobby is raising expensive orchids.
Essie Carmichael (female, 25+) Wife of Ed, daughter of Penny and Paul Sycamore, Granddaughter of Martin, sister of Alice. She is childish. As a hobby she makes candy that Ed sells. Essie dreams of being a ballerina. She has spent 8 years studying with Boris Kolenkhov, but is a terrible dancer.
Boris Kolenkhov (male, 30+) A Russian who escaped to America shortly before the Russian Revolution. He is very concerned with world politics, and the deterioration of Russia. 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. He likes the Greeks and the Romans, questions society, and is interested in world affairs. He is opinionated and often loudly declares that something "stinks"! This character is larger than life, boisterous, and quote physical.
Paul Sycamore (male, 40+) Father of Essie and Alice, husband of Penny, Son-in-law of Martin. He is a Tinker who manufactures fireworks in the basement with the help of his assistant Mr. De Pinna. He is the essence of young at heart.
Ed Carmichael (male, 25+) Husband of Essie, son-in-law of Paul and Penny. He is a xylophone player and distributes Essie's candies. Ed is an amateur printer who prints anything that sounds good to him. He prints up dinner menus for his family and little quotes that he places in the boxes of Essie's candy. He also likes to make masks.
Mr. De Pinna (male, 30+) The 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. He is a nutty guy. This is kind of a side-kick role to Paul. Dry and matter of fact in his deliver.
Donald (male, 25+) The partner to Rheba, currently out of work, he seems to serve as volunteer handyman and go-fer for the Sycamores.
Rheba (female, 25+) The partner to Donald, she is the maid and cook to the Sycamore family. She is loving and matter of fact.
Wilbur Henderson (male, 25+) 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.
Miriam Kirby (female, 45+) 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. Her hobby is spiritualism.
The Grand Duchess Olga Katrina (female, 40+) She was one of the Grand Duchesses of Russia before the Revolution. Since then she has been forced to flee to America where she has found work as a waitress in Childs Restaurant. She loves to cook as a hobby. This character appears only in Act 3. She lives up to her name: she is GRAND with absolute stage presence.
Gay Wellington (female, 25+) 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.
Three Gentlemen (male, 21+) Three agents who come to investigate Ed because of the communist things he prints up, such as "God is the State –the State is God". They are intimidating and arrest the entire household, including the Kirbys.
Martin Vanderhof (male, 60+) Referred to mostly as Grandpa in the play. Father-in-law to Paul, father of Penny, grandfather of Alice and Essie. He is an eccentric happy old man who has never paid his income tax because he doesn't believe in it, as he feels that the government wouldn't know what to do with the money if he paid for it. 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. A challenging role indeed.
Alice Sycamore (female, 18+) Fiancé of Tony Kirby, daughter of Paul and Penny, Granddaughter of Martin, sister of Essie. She the only "normal" family member. She has an office job and is rather embarrassed by the eccentricities of her family when she has Tony and his parents at her house, yet she still loves them. She tends to be a pessimist. Contains characteristics of love, embarrassment, and worry.
Tony Kirby (male, 18+) Fiancé of Alice, Son of Mr. and Mrs. Kirby. He sees how, even though the Sycamores appear odd, they are really the perfect family because they love and care about each other. His own family is very proper and has many issues none of them will admit. He is vice president of Kirby and Co. He is proper but adorable.
Anthony Kirby (male, 45+) Husband of Mrs. Kirby, father of Tony. He is a very proper man who is president of Kirby and Co. and secretly despises his job. His hobby is raising expensive orchids.
Essie Carmichael (female, 25+) Wife of Ed, daughter of Penny and Paul Sycamore, Granddaughter of Martin, sister of Alice. She is childish. As a hobby she makes candy that Ed sells. Essie dreams of being a ballerina. She has spent 8 years studying with Boris Kolenkhov, but is a terrible dancer.
Boris Kolenkhov (male, 30+) A Russian who escaped to America shortly before the Russian Revolution. He is very concerned with world politics, and the deterioration of Russia. 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. He likes the Greeks and the Romans, questions society, and is interested in world affairs. He is opinionated and often loudly declares that something "stinks"! This character is larger than life, boisterous, and quote physical.
Paul Sycamore (male, 40+) Father of Essie and Alice, husband of Penny, Son-in-law of Martin. He is a Tinker who manufactures fireworks in the basement with the help of his assistant Mr. De Pinna. He is the essence of young at heart.
Ed Carmichael (male, 25+) Husband of Essie, son-in-law of Paul and Penny. He is a xylophone player and distributes Essie's candies. Ed is an amateur printer who prints anything that sounds good to him. He prints up dinner menus for his family and little quotes that he places in the boxes of Essie's candy. He also likes to make masks.
Mr. De Pinna (male, 30+) The 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. He is a nutty guy. This is kind of a side-kick role to Paul. Dry and matter of fact in his deliver.
Donald (male, 25+) The partner to Rheba, currently out of work, he seems to serve as volunteer handyman and go-fer for the Sycamores.
Rheba (female, 25+) The partner to Donald, she is the maid and cook to the Sycamore family. She is loving and matter of fact.
Wilbur Henderson (male, 25+) 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.
Miriam Kirby (female, 45+) 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. Her hobby is spiritualism.
The Grand Duchess Olga Katrina (female, 40+) She was one of the Grand Duchesses of Russia before the Revolution. Since then she has been forced to flee to America where she has found work as a waitress in Childs Restaurant. She loves to cook as a hobby. This character appears only in Act 3. She lives up to her name: she is GRAND with absolute stage presence.
Gay Wellington (female, 25+) 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.
Three Gentlemen (male, 21+) Three agents who come to investigate Ed because of the communist things he prints up, such as "God is the State –the State is God". They are intimidating and arrest the entire household, including the Kirbys.