You Can't Take it With You

University City High School is putting on You Can't Take It With You at the UCHS Auditorium this week, with shows running Wednesday through Friday. It's a production from the school's Performing Arts Department, and if you've never seen it, it's a three-act comedy from the 1930s written by Moss Hart and George S. Kaufman.

The story centers on the Vanderhofs, a family that doesn't do things by the book. Instead of traditional work, they spend their days on whatever hobbies bring them joy, and they're perfectly happy living their own way. Things get complicated when their granddaughter, Alice, falls for Tony Kirby, a man from a stiff, conventional Wall Street family. Much of the comedy comes from those two worlds colliding under one roof, with the Vanderhofs' eccentricities rubbing up against the Kirbys' rigid expectations.

Directing the show is Nia Hilton, a UCHS theatre teacher and former student, so it's a production coming from someone who knows the school from both sides of the stage. It's an all-ages show, so it works as a family outing as much as a night out with friends.

There are four performances in total: Wednesday, October 7, at 3 PM and 7 PM; Thursday, October 8, at 7 PM; and Friday, October 9, at 7 PM. Tickets are $7 for students and $10 for adults, available at the door or at www.uchsperformingarts.org. The auditorium is at 6949 Genesee Ave in San Diego.