It would not make much sense to have fireworks, snakes and lots and lots of corn flakes all in one place. But that is the plan this Friday night at Herndon High.
Herndon High School’s opening night performance for its fall play, "You Can’t Take It With You," is set for Friday night, Nov. 9, at 7 p.m. George Kaufman and Moss Hart authored the Pulitzer Prize-winning comedy in 1936, and its movie adaptation won two Oscars in 1939, including Best Picture.
"It’s a classic comedy," said Herndon drama teacher and director Sarah Bever. "It is perfect for the upper classmen we have this year," she said about choosing the play she had not directed before.
The play is set in 1930’s New York City, in the Sycamore household where eccentric is normal. Members of the family pursue their own passions without much thought of who is judging them for their odd behavior. "It’s about what’s important in life," said Bever.
Bever said the show is delightful and has many colorful characters in it. It is more than just about comic relief, it is also about family and falling in love. "It’s just a really really fun show," she said. "A lot of people from a lot of walks of life will get a lot from it."
"It’s hilarious," said Herndon senior Carley Ericson, playing the role of Gay Wellington. She said it is great fun to watch the interaction between the "wacky" characters onstage. Ericson said the actors are vested in the play. "Everyone loves it. We want to stay ‘til 10 at night to make it as perfect as can be," said Ericson.
"We get to shoot fireworks on stage," said Matt Sipe, also a senior, playing Paul Sycamore. "It’s high energy. There is so much going on," he said.
"You have to bring a lot of yourself to it," said Ericson.
The actors and the technical crew have been working on the play since the second week of September. Ericson said that some readings took place even before school started. Bever said the students are working very hard on the play. They have dress rehearsals every day after school and on Saturdays. On Monday, Nov. 5, when all Fairfax County students were at home because of a teacher workday, the actors and the technicians worked to perfect their performance before the opening night. They held dress rehearsal for five hours.