You Can't Take It With You
at Tri-School

Reviewed on November 10, 2016

Nico Zani
Capistrano Valley High School
Submitted for publication to OC Varsity Arts

Tri-School shows the wild side of Sycamores
written by Nico Zani, a senior at Capistrano Valley High School

A reminder of the warmth and importance of family always brightens one's day, as Tri-School Theatre proves with their production of "You Can't Take It With You". Through the crazed antics of the fantastical Sycamore family, the story emerges about following one's dreams, be they ballet dancing, Russian politics, script writing, saxophone playing, tax evasion, or love.

As the leader of the family, Martin Vanderhof (Steven Wehner) is a loving grandfather who has avoided income tax for over 20 years. With gray hair and a cane, Wehner slowly hobbles around the room, embodying the lively spirit of Vanderhof with reminiscing stories and grandfatherly advice. Wehner balances the energy of others, such as his granddaughter, Essie Sycamore (Allyson San Roman). Playing a dancer in training, San Roman flies across the stage with goofy pirouettes and pliés, adding comedy to calamity throughout the play. She is not alone in this; Peter McManus, playing Kolenkhov, creates a caricature of a ‘30s Soviet revolutionary through over-the-top gesturing, yelling about Siberia, lunging and wrestling with commitment, and a thick Russian accent.

Molly Renze as Penny Sycamore delves into the world of the Sycamore family without hesitation. Renze's motherlike and giddy personality endears her, and her comedic timing is punctual and powerful. Renze draws out Penny's reactions: when asked to paint Mr.Depinna (Matthew Martinez) as a Roman, she doesn't bat an eye; when playing a family game of words, she wastes no time reaching the adult content. By acting as though these are normal, Renze clearly shows how well she fits into the family.

Alice Sycamore (Sierra Warner) and Tony Kirby (Andy Van Driesen) are the center of the story. Their love catapults the plot into disarray, as the whacky Sycamores differ greatly from the prestigious Kirbys. Warner, as Alice, foils her family, demanding they act more "normal" and diverting conversations to less strange subjects. She contrasts her refined side of graceful sips of wine and clasped hands with her determination, characterized by sharp steps up stairs or pointed movements with motive. Van Driesen plays off this, using high energy to match determination but without the firmness, instead with courage in standing up to his father, Mr. Kirby (Antonio Murillo).

In the end, Tri-School combines the hectic nature of the play and its message to put on a great show.

Nico Zani
Capistrano Valley High School
Submitted for publication to OC Varsity Arts

Tri-School shows the wild side of Sycamores
written by Nico Zani, a senior at Capistrano Valley High School

A reminder of the warmth and importance of family always brightens one's day, as Tri-School Theatre proves with their production of "You Can't Take It With You". Through the crazed antics of the fantastical Sycamore family, the story emerges about following one's dreams, be they ballet dancing, Russian politics, script writing, saxophone playing, tax evasion, or love.

As the leader of the family, Martin Vanderhof (Steven Wehner) is a loving grandfather who has avoided income tax for over 20 years. With gray hair and a cane, Wehner slowly hobbles around the room, embodying the lively spirit of Vanderhof with reminiscing stories and grandfatherly advice. Wehner balances the energy of others, such as his granddaughter, Essie Sycamore (Allyson San Roman). Playing a dancer in training, San Roman flies across the stage with goofy pirouettes and pliés, adding comedy to calamity throughout the play. She is not alone in this; Peter McManus, playing Kolenkhov, creates a caricature of a ‘30s Soviet revolutionary through over-the-top gesturing, yelling about Siberia, lunging and wrestling with commitment, and a thick Russian accent.

Molly Renze as Penny Sycamore delves into the world of the Sycamore family without hesitation. Renze's motherlike and giddy personality endears her, and her comedic timing is punctual and powerful. Renze draws out Penny's reactions: when asked to paint Mr.Depinna (Matthew Martinez) as a Roman, she doesn't bat an eye; when playing a family game of words, she wastes no time reaching the adult content. By acting as though these are normal, Renze clearly shows how well she fits into the family.

Alice Sycamore (Sierra Warner) and Tony Kirby (Andy Van Driesen) are the center of the story. Their love catapults the plot into disarray, as the whacky Sycamores differ greatly from the prestigious Kirbys. Warner, as Alice, foils her family, demanding they act more "normal" and diverting conversations to less strange subjects. She contrasts her refined side of graceful sips of wine and clasped hands with her determination, characterized by sharp steps up stairs or pointed movements with motive. Van Driesen plays off this, using high energy to match determination but without the firmness, instead with courage in standing up to his father, Mr. Kirby (Antonio Murillo).

In the end, Tri-School combines the hectic nature of the play and its message to put on a great show.

Olivia Wolff
Capistrano Valley High School
Submitted for publication to OC Varsity Arts

Home is where the heart is at Tri-School
written by Olivia Wolff, a junior at Capistrano Valley High School


With fireworks exploding, xylophones trilling, and feet flying, Tri-School's heartfelt production of "You Can't Take It With You" tells the story of the Sycamore family, an eccentric household of people making the most of their lives. When the family is faced with the challenge of being "normal" however, the Sycamores are faced with an unlikely challenge to impress their daughter's future in laws, and are forced to reconsider everything they think they believe in.


Steven Wehner plays Grandpa, the head of the Sycamore household and the soul of the house itself. Within the midst of the crazy, whimsical qualities that the other family members have, Wehner remains grounded, providing a contrast to the other characters. Demonstrating his advanced age in how he commands a room, Wehner holds his cane firmly and stands up confidently, with a sense of pride.


As the delightful yet erratic Penny Sycamore, Molly Renze embodies the charming mother of the Sycamore family, always wanting to help her family, but never being afraid to speak her mind. Saying things with a laugh, smile reaching her eyes, Renze successfully plays the endearing mother, while still managing to display her own quirkiness throughout the whole show.


Essie and Ed, played by Allyson San Roman and Erik Mercado respectively, are a young couple who live in the Sycamore house who bring a sense of childlike oblivion and wonder to the household. Being a Sycamore, San Roman manages to show off her characters peculiarities in a form of very elaborate dancing. Going hand and hand with San Roman's young, guileless mannerisms, Mercado looks constantly in awe, eyes filling with boyish curiosity, nodding his head and always looking like he wants to know more.


Alice, played by Sierra Warner, is the second, much more refined daughter of the Sycamore family. Being the character who is engaged and wants normalcy, Warner provided an excellent contrast to the rest of her family, showing poise and maturity from her outstretched arms to her mature, upright posture. Showing her uptightness, Warner walks around the stage with very tight and small movements, while still having a lightness to her step.


Tri-School's heartwarming production of "You Can't Take It With You" shows that no matter what comes along the way, family, no matter how crazy they are, will always be there for you.

Olivia Wolff
Capistrano Valley High School
Submitted for publication to OC Varsity Arts

Home is where the heart is at Tri-School
written by Olivia Wolff, a junior at Capistrano Valley High School


With fireworks exploding, xylophones trilling, and feet flying, Tri-School's heartfelt production of "You Can't Take It With You" tells the story of the Sycamore family, an eccentric household of people making the most of their lives. When the family is faced with the challenge of being "normal" however, the Sycamores are faced with an unlikely challenge to impress their daughter's future in laws, and are forced to reconsider everything they think they believe in.


Steven Wehner plays Grandpa, the head of the Sycamore household and the soul of the house itself. Within the midst of the crazy, whimsical qualities that the other family members have, Wehner remains grounded, providing a contrast to the other characters. Demonstrating his advanced age in how he commands a room, Wehner holds his cane firmly and stands up confidently, with a sense of pride.


As the delightful yet erratic Penny Sycamore, Molly Renze embodies the charming mother of the Sycamore family, always wanting to help her family, but never being afraid to speak her mind. Saying things with a laugh, smile reaching her eyes, Renze successfully plays the endearing mother, while still managing to display her own quirkiness throughout the whole show.


Essie and Ed, played by Allyson San Roman and Erik Mercado respectively, are a young couple who live in the Sycamore house who bring a sense of childlike oblivion and wonder to the household. Being a Sycamore, San Roman manages to show off her characters peculiarities in a form of very elaborate dancing. Going hand and hand with San Roman's young, guileless mannerisms, Mercado looks constantly in awe, eyes filling with boyish curiosity, nodding his head and always looking like he wants to know more.


Alice, played by Sierra Warner, is the second, much more refined daughter of the Sycamore family. Being the character who is engaged and wants normalcy, Warner provided an excellent contrast to the rest of her family, showing poise and maturity from her outstretched arms to her mature, upright posture. Showing her uptightness, Warner walks around the stage with very tight and small movements, while still having a lightness to her step.


Tri-School's heartwarming production of "You Can't Take It With You" shows that no matter what comes along the way, family, no matter how crazy they are, will always be there for you.

Anika Perera
Aliso Niguel High School
Submitted for publication to OC Cappies Facebook Page

Tri-School shows that family matters

Alice Sycamore is trying to impress her fiancé's family, however her family is very outgoing; completely contrasting her fiancé's modest family. Tri-School's production of ‘You Can't Take It With You' shows off the crazy personalities of one very interesting family. This production portrays the value of family and why one shouldn't hide their true background to impress others. Tri-School takes on this challenging play and gives it a wonderful meaning.

The first family member introduced is Penny Sycamore. Molly Renze does an impeccable job taking on this role as she is able to show the age of this stereotypical mother through constant squinted eye smiling and genuine reactions to the world around her. Renze saunters across stage, always using vibrant facials to engage the audience.

The apple doesn't fall far from the tree as you meet Penny's youngest daughter Essie. Essie is a vivacious young adult who is always ,not so gracefully, dancing across the stage. Allyson San Roman shows off the personality of this bubbly character by bouncing around stage with not a care in the world.

Alice is the most practical of the family. Although she may seem like the out cast of the family, Sierra Warner is able to show just how much she loves her family. Warner carries herself in a much more poised way than the rest of her family however she interacts with them in a way that shows just how much she loves them.

The glue that holds the whole family together is Grandpa. Steven Wehner loiters around, always staying calm during the chaos. Wehner's physicality and voicing shows Grandpa's old age and creates a lovable character who is also sensible yet still as crazy as the rest of his family

This show calls for the use of accents and those actors who developed accents were quite spot on. Most notably the characters Kolenkhov (Peter McManus) and The Grand Duchess Olga Katrina (Isabella Rivera) perfected their Russian accents. Although accents used throughout the entire cast may have hindered the ability to understand some lines, overall they added personality to their characters which would have been harder to portray without the use of the accents.

Tri-School brings a heart warming meaning to this comedic play, through their understanding of the undertones throughout the play.

Anika Perera
Aliso Niguel High School
Submitted for publication to OC Cappies Facebook Page

Tri-School shows that family matters

Alice Sycamore is trying to impress her fiancé's family, however her family is very outgoing; completely contrasting her fiancé's modest family. Tri-School's production of ‘You Can't Take It With You' shows off the crazy personalities of one very interesting family. This production portrays the value of family and why one shouldn't hide their true background to impress others. Tri-School takes on this challenging play and gives it a wonderful meaning.

The first family member introduced is Penny Sycamore. Molly Renze does an impeccable job taking on this role as she is able to show the age of this stereotypical mother through constant squinted eye smiling and genuine reactions to the world around her. Renze saunters across stage, always using vibrant facials to engage the audience.

The apple doesn't fall far from the tree as you meet Penny's youngest daughter Essie. Essie is a vivacious young adult who is always ,not so gracefully, dancing across the stage. Allyson San Roman shows off the personality of this bubbly character by bouncing around stage with not a care in the world.

Alice is the most practical of the family. Although she may seem like the out cast of the family, Sierra Warner is able to show just how much she loves her family. Warner carries herself in a much more poised way than the rest of her family however she interacts with them in a way that shows just how much she loves them.

The glue that holds the whole family together is Grandpa. Steven Wehner loiters around, always staying calm during the chaos. Wehner's physicality and voicing shows Grandpa's old age and creates a lovable character who is also sensible yet still as crazy as the rest of his family

This show calls for the use of accents and those actors who developed accents were quite spot on. Most notably the characters Kolenkhov (Peter McManus) and The Grand Duchess Olga Katrina (Isabella Rivera) perfected their Russian accents. Although accents used throughout the entire cast may have hindered the ability to understand some lines, overall they added personality to their characters which would have been harder to portray without the use of the accents.

Tri-School brings a heart warming meaning to this comedic play, through their understanding of the undertones throughout the play.