Cronin to take final bow Sunday

This upcoming weekend, the Department of Theatre and Dance is putting on their final production of the semester, “You Can’t Take It With You,” from Nov. 21-23 at 7:30 p.m. and Nov. 24 at 2 p.m. The play focuses on a wild and unique family.

The play is the last performance at ETSU for beloved professor Patrick Cronin. Cronin has been a director for 20 years and has chosen to retire after this semester. He expressed his happiness for going out with this play.

“I’m playing Grandpa who is in his late 70s as I am in life,” Cronin said. “I am having a ball doing it with a very young and very talented ETSU Theatre and Dance major group of actors. It is a great way for me to retire.”

The three act comedy was written in 1936 by famous screenwriter George S. Kaufman and Moss Hart. It was a smash on Broadway playing for over 830 performances.

“Think ‘Meet the Robinson’s’ but not so cartooney, and they are weird and wonderful,” Director and ETSU theatre professor Bobby Funk said. “They are the kind of people that I would love to go to their house and hang out with them. They are just strange – like when they ask the lady that cooks for them what’s for dinner, she says, ‘Cornflakes, watermelon and some kind of meat, but I am not sure what.'”

Funk said the show has a positive message about authenticity.

“While eccentric, they are a simple family – like they eat cornflakes just because they like them,” Funk said. “The basic overall message is to be yourself, to find out who you are and just be that.”

The play has a huge cast of students as the comedy has upwards of 20 roles to be filled in the production and that is something that Funk is excited about.

“We have over 70 theatre majors, and that isn’t counting minors,” Funk said. “When choosing plays for the seasons, we always try to pick plays not only that could fill the seats but can have spots for as many of our students as we can.”

The performances of “You Can’t Take It With You” will be at the Bud Frank Theatre. Tickets cost $10 for adults and $5 for faculty and students with an ETSU ID.