Behind the curtain, the stage is dark. The set rises up, towering above the actors. Techies speak in hushed whispers to prepare the final details before the show’s beginning. There’s an air of nervousness and excitement that covers the whole company. Everyone holds their breath as the curtain opens for the first time.

The Tiger Theatre Company is set to produce its first show of the year, a quirky fun adventure called You Can’t Take it With You. The show is set in pre-World War II and follows the antics of a family who thinks their eccentricities are normal but aren’t. Armed with a new director who has many ideas for the show, the troupe is aiming for a successful first show.

“I think it’s going to be good,” new director Lindsey Thompson said. “We had a read through the other night, the whole cast was already laughing and having a good time. Usually the read throughs [are] kind of the bumpiest part, so if we’re already enjoying it that soon into it, chances are it’s going to be pretty good.”

Rehersals are already underway and the cast members are working hard to perfect the show so it’s ready for presentation. This show includes things such as a ballerina and a xylophone player.

“I’m doing a lot of physical work to prepare for this role: stretches, ballet moves, poses, things along those lines.” junior Emily McDonald said. “I’m looking forward to hearing and seeing the audiences’ reactions to all the chaos of the story and its characters. It’s going to be a ton of fun.”

On the technical side, the crew is also working to ensure the set lives up to and exceeds expectations. Since there are no massive scene changes, a unit set is being produced. This means that one scene will occupy the stage for the entire performance. This has given the tech crew and classes the opportunity to spend more time on the set and build more elaborate pieces.

“It’s given us the opportunity to build a chandelier.” technical theatre director Trent Hanna said. “That’s something we’ve never done before. It’s a big unit set. That gives us the opportunity to spend more time with it instead of jumping from scene to scene to scene. We’ve got one good scene that we can fully realize.”

Thompson is sure the show will be successful and that people will love it.

“I think it’s going to surprise people at how much they really like it,” Thompson said. “I think people aren’t sure of what it is. They don’t know what to expect. I think that anyone who comes out, be it young, old, boy, girl, whatever, you’re going to find something to fall in love with [in] this show.”

Show dates are Nov. 6-8 at 7 p.m., 14,15 at 7 p.m. and 9,16 at 2 p.m.