On Nov. 20, Free State Theatre announced their winter play cast list for “You Can’t Take it With You” by George S. Kaufman and Moss Hart on Instagram. However, instead of one traditional cast, this year the show will feature two: The Blintzes and Cornflakes.
Different to most school performances, the two casts will split the performance nights to engage a bigger cast. The Blintzes will perform Feb. 5 and 7, whereas the Cornflakes will perform Feb. 6 and 8.
Theater director Bryce Jones said there are many benefits to double casting, both on the creative and practical side.
“Those that are double cast, they’ve got a buddy they can bounce ideas off of and can review their blocking with as well. For a practical reality, you do have someone to fill in should something happen,” Jones said. “The biggest benefit is you get more hands on deck. The cast is bigger by nature, double casting, so you expand the camaraderie, the relationships that build, and not only the strength of the show, but the strength of our theater program.”
According to Stage Agent, “You Can’t Take it With You” is a “madcap, idealistic comedy that reinforces the idea that you can only live life to the fullest by doing whatever makes you happy.”
The play will feature students of all grades and acting levels. During Jones’ two years as the head of the theater department, this is the first time a show has been double casted.
Freshman Lily Davis, who will play Kolenkhov in the Cornflakes cast, said she participated in double casting shows all throughout middle school at West. For her, she said she expected high school theater to become more serious.
Junior Laura Turner, who plays Olga in the Blintzes cast, said that the double casting was not announced until the night of callbacks. Because of this, she said she thinks it made students feel undermined in their roles and preparations.
“I know a lot of people who haven’t been given the opportunity to be in some of these plays, and that it’s good that they’re getting this opportunity, but they are annoyed that they were told it was going to be a cut, they worked hard, and now everybody just gets a spot. It more undermines the work that they put in and I think that was hard for some of them,” Turner said.
Furthermore, she said she thinks in the future, a double casted show should be announced further in advance.
“It should be put out there that it is double casting, and it shouldn’t be decided at the very end that [Mr. Jones] just wants everyone in it. I think the point of having a musical that everybody gets into is that we can have cuts during the year, and that people aren’t going to get mad because they still get an opportunity at the beginning of the year,” Turner said.
To make sure the cast is adequately prepared, Jones described it as tricky, but said he will continue blocking both casts, giving both the Cornflakes and Blintzes time to prepare.
“When we start to run things, they’ll run it all independently, or call switch in the middle of the run,” Jones said. “The expectation is that they’re off stage, but locked into what’s going on so if I say switch, they can pop in and do their thing.”
The play’s opening night will take place in the auditorium on Feb. 6. For more information, contact [email protected].
