Riverside Theatre Presents You Can’t Take It With You — A Classic Comedy for the Whole Family

There’s something special about watching a story come to life on stage, especially when the cast is made up of homeschool students from our own community. Riverside Theatre’s fall play is You Can’t Take It With You, and it’s coming to Wheaton Academy’s Alumni Chapel in West Chicago on November 13 and 14, 2026.

What Is the Play About?

You Can’t Take It With You is a beloved American comedy by George S. Kaufman and Moss Hart. It opened on Broadway in 1936 and won the 1937 Pulitzer Prize for Drama, and the 1938 film version went on to win the Academy Award for Best Picture. Nearly ninety years later, it’s still funny — because its message hasn’t aged a day.

The story centers on the Sycamore family, a delightfully eccentric household led by Grandpa Vanderhof, who hasn’t worked a day in thirty-five years and wouldn’t have it any other way. His daughter Penny writes plays, her husband Paul makes fireworks in the basement, and their daughter Essie dreams of becoming a ballerina. The only “normal” one in the house is Alice — and she’s about to bring home her boyfriend, Tony Kirby, along with his very proper, very wealthy parents.

When the two families meet for dinner, the results are chaotic, hilarious, and unexpectedly heartwarming. At its core, the play asks a question worth talking about on the drive home: what really makes a life well lived? Spoiler: it’s not money. You can’t take it with you.

Why This Is a Great Family Night Out

This is a comedy the whole family can enjoy together, performed by a cast of homeschool students ages 8 to 18 — with Marie McLain, Caleb Grice, George Thevalakara, and Owen Tamosaitis among the cast. Riverside Theatre, part of The Riverside Club for Adventure and Imagination, produces a play each fall and musicals in the spring and summer, and their shows are a wonderful way to support young performers in our area.

If your kids have ever been curious about theatre, seeing students their own age on stage is the best introduction there is. And if you just want a fun night out that leaves everyone laughing, this classic delivers.

Show Details

• What: You Can’t Take It With You, presented by Riverside Theatre
• When: November 13 and 14, 2026 — Friday, November 13 at 6:30 p.m.; Saturday, November 14 at 2:00 p.m. and 6:30 p.m.
• Where: Wheaton Academy Alumni Chapel, 900 N Prince Crossing Rd, West Chicago, IL 60185
• Tickets: General admission — $15 adults, $10 youth (ages 8–14), $8 children (under 8), free for lap children under 4
• Get tickets here: https://www.zeffy.com/en-US/ticketing/tickets-you-cant-take-it-with-you

Tickets are general admission, so plan to arrive a little early for the best seats. We hope to see you there — and if you go, I’d love to hear what your family thought of the Sycamores!