The Dexter High School Drama Club will bring a little old fashioned comedy to the stage at the Performing Arts Center with their fall production of You Can't Take it With You.

The comedy, written by Moss Hart and George F. Kaufman, first appeared in the middle of the Great Depression and was awarded the Pulitzer Prize for drama in 1937. The title of the play refers to the theme that no matter how much wealth you accrue, you can’t take it with you when you die.

The plot follows Alice Sycamore, who has plans to introduce the family of her fiance, Tony Kirby, to her own family. The Kirby's are a wealthy family of great self-importance, while the Sycamore's are a collection of good-hearted lunatics. When the two families come together, lifestyle and philosophy collide head-on.

"The story is about love and family," DHS club advisor Erin Palmer said. "It's a quarky comedy that takes place in the 1930s that shows audiences it's not a bad thing to be different. You don't have to change who you are for someone else."

DHS senior Paige Driscoll, who plays Penny Sycamore, leads the 19-member cast. Driscoll said she has been acting with the drama club for the past four years and is looking forward to starring in her first lead role.

"I'm a little nervous, but I'm excited for the opportunity as well," she said. "The challenge has been constantly staying in character and remembering all my lines since I'm stage all the time."

No stranger to the stage, Driscoll, was last seen in the DHS production of Alice in Wonderland, and said she is planning to attend Bowling Green State University or the University of Michigan to pursue a career in film after high school.

DHS senior Alyssa Rittinger, who plays Grand Dutchess Olga Katrina, has been acting with the club for the past five years.

"It's (acting) is addicting," she said. "It gives me the ability to be creative and explore my interest in the arts."

Rittinger describes her character as a "crazy and spontaneous cameo" that shifts more of the audience's attention toward the end of the show.

Of her castmates, Rittinger said, "This is the first fall production I've done that's not bland as far as cast chemistry. The cast is larger but also more unified than years past; we have a great chemistry with the director."

You Can't Take it With You will run Thursday, Friday and Saturday at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday at 2 p.m. at the Dexter High School Center for the Performing Arts. Tickets are $10 for adults and $8 for students. Tickets can be purchased at the door. For more information about the upcoming season, visit http://dexterdrama.com/default.aspx.