Theater’s final production of the year premieres in the auditorium on Saturday, May 13 at 7 p.m. and Sunday, May 14 at 2 and 7 p.m. Tickets for “You Can’t Take it with You” by Moss Hart and George S. Kaufman are on sale now online for a discounted price of $10 for adults and $5 for students. Attendees will also be able to buy tickets at the door for $2 more.

The play is about a New York family whose eccentricity jeopardizes the eldest daughter’s engagement to a man who is the son of a Wall Street banker. As these two families merge, they learn money isn’t everything and the strangest people are the freest.

“It’s literally my favorite show,” director Abagayle Postoak said. “I saw it in middle school and fell in love with it and it just sparked many passions inside of me, so I wanted to instill that passion into my students.”

Senior Olana Howell acts as assistant director alongside director Abagayle Postoak. The position was offered to Howell after auditions.

“I get to work on scenes and pick out set designs,” Howell said. “I also get to work one on one with characters and help on the technical side which I’ve never done before.”

Students were able to audition after advancing to Bi-District in late march. 

Senior Emily Milligan plays the role of Alice. Alice is the eldest daughter of Paul and Penny Sycamore and granddaughter to Mr.Vanderhof. Alice wants to marry her son’s boss but is embarrassed by her family’s chaotic energy and does everything in her power to make their meeting go smoothly.

“My favorite part is when we’re all playing the game with the Kirbys when we’re all in the living room,” Milligan said. “I think it’s because it just feels so much like just me and my friends having fun and since everyone on stage is so friendly with each other it just feels like we’re all being ourselves and just having a good time.”

For almost two months, about 51 students have dedicated their time to bring “You Can’t Take it with You” to life. The cast and crew have spent the last week preparing for their performance staying until 7 p.m. rehearsing. Many new students have joined the production.

“A lot of the people on stage it’s either their first show or they’ve been in a show but it’s their first speaking role,” Postoak said.

As this season comes to an end, many of the seniors are taking their final bows.

“Theater has taught me alot about being yourself, really embracing friendship, working together as a group and just really learning who you are,” Miligan said. “And how being who you are can influence the characters you play but also who the characters you play influence how you are in your everyday life.”

While it may be her last show in high school, Howell will continue acting at Columbia College Chicago in their Bachelor of Fine Arts program.

“My main take away from being in theater is that I can be whatever I want and whoever I want,” Howell said. “Other people can’t define me, I can define myself. If I only look at the bad things then that’s all my life will be a bad thing so choose to look on the brighter side of things when things get hard.”