DANBURY, CONN. — The Department of Theatre Arts at Western Connecticut State University will stage “You Can’t Take It With You” in February and March at the MainStage Theatre of the Visual and Performing Arts Center on the university’s Westside campus, 43 Lake Ave. Extension in Danbury.

Written in 1936 by Moss Hart and George S. Kaufman, the play won the 1937 Pulitzer Prize for Drama. It ran from December 1936 through December 1938 on Broadway. A film version directed by Frank Capra won Academy Awards for Best Picture and Best Director in 1939.

A Broadway revival starring James Earl Jones in autumn 2014 was heralded as a New York Times “Critics’ Pick.”

Times critic Ben Brantley wrote, “A lot of shows can make you laugh. What’s rare is a play that makes you beam from curtain to curtain. Such is the effect of Scott Ellis’s felicitous revival of Moss Hart and George S. Kaufman’s 1936 comedy about one improbably happy family during the Great Depression …”

WCSU performances will be at 7 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 26; 8 p.m. on Friday and Saturday, Feb. 27 and 28, and March 6 and 7; with 2 p.m. matinees on Saturday, March 7; and Sunday, March 1 and 8. Tickets will be $20 for the public and $15 for seniors and non-WCSU students, plus fees. To purchase tickets, call (203) 837-TIXX or visit www.wcsu.edu/tickets.

John Hickok will serve as guest director for this production. A professional actor and director for more than 30 years, Hickok has acted in the Broadway musicals “Little Women,” “Aida” and “Parade.” He’s also directed a number of shows nationwide, as well as the London premiere of “Burning Blue,” which was nominated for two Olivier Awards. Most recently, Hickok directed productions of “Rent” and “Spring Awakening” at Central Connecticut State University.

Hickok said “You Can’t Take It With You” is “a classic, screwball American comedy. There are a lot of warm, fun characters and crazy situations.

“Playwright George Kaufman had a play on Broadway every year for more than 30 years,” Hickcok added. “He was one of the most prolific American writer-directors in U.S. theatre.”

The male roles in the cast will be portrayed by WCSU students LeRoy Walton, of Hamden, as Grandpa; Brodey Ott, of Stratford, as Paul; Mary Joy, of Enfield, as Mr. DePinna; Ryan Jepsen, of Stratford, as Ed; Noah Todd, of Waterford, as Tony Kirby; Matt Goncalves, of Danbury, as Donald; TJ Swetz, of Poughquag, New York, as Boris Kolenkhov; Joseph DeVellis, of Newtown, as Mr. Kirby; Jake Capelli, of West Haven, as Henderson; Brendon Boyd, of Worcester, Massachusetts, as The Man; and Jeffrey Jannitto, of Hamden, and Connor Thompson, of Ledyard, as the two G-Men.

The female roles will be played by Aimee M’Sadoques, of Waterbury, as Penny; Brittany Wigglesworth, of Westbrook, as Essie; Shaylen Harger, of Woodbridge, as Alice; Megan O’Callaghan, of Norwalk, as Rheba; Kim Lustig, of Madison, as Gary Wellington; Brianna Bagley, of Stafford Springs, as Mrs. Kirby; and Ally Olinyk, of East Haven, as Olga.

“‘You Can’t Take It With You’ is very much a piece of the 1930s,” Hickcok said. “It’s a really classic, fun play with great roles for Western’s students.”

For tickets or information, call the Box Office at (203) 837-TIXX or go to www.wcsu.edu/tickets.

Western Connecticut State University offers outstanding faculty in a range of quality academic programs.

Our diverse university community provides students an enriching and supportive environment that takes advantage of the unique cultural offerings of Western Connecticut and New York. Our vision: To be an affordable public university with the characteristics of New England’s best small private universities.