I remember being a high school sophomore and our German teacher recommending It’s A Wonderful Life to us. You should see it. The Frank Capra film that found actual Pathos in a medium inclined to Melodrama. There’s a special delight in watching a film for the very first time, not knowing where it was going. Surprises and tears. I still remember Clarence turning Bedford Falls to Babylon in a few seconds. Or something like that. I have such respect for It’s A Wonderful Life because it comes by its emotions legitimately. It doesn’t feel contrived or manipulative.
Every Christmas, or should I say every Christmas Season, Wonderful Life is featured on one network or another, night after night, up until Christmas Eve. It’s synonymous with the spirit of Christmas, in a way that’s accessible, believable and earnest. Which raises the question, would a live radio show (a new genre that’s getting traction) of Capra’s classic, work as well for those don’t know this classic? And could it possibly speak to those of us who know every camera shot, every scene, every bit of dialogue? How is that supposed to work? The Joe Landry play (up until the narrative begins) is all about the talent and technicians and cigarette commercials and jingles and the cast as they arrive, shake the snow off their coats, and find their places.
There’s a single narrator, one techie who does the sound effects, others set the broadcast waves. The expressions of the actors, as they deliver their lines. We follow the story of the good-hearted George Bailey, as he passes up one opportunity after another for the sake of his dear ones. We get to know George, his dad, his brother, his mama, the housekeeper. We grit our teeth when Mr. Potter, the vindictive town millionaire butts in. This is all told, of course, through content and live, spoken drama. A commonplace occurrence in the theatre world is a staged reading. When you’re told it will be actors reading from scripts. No whistles and bells. No costumes or props. Just the script. The dialogue. It sounds terribly dull. And yet, it’s astonishing how completely immersed in the production we become. You forget that it’s bare bones and music stands. The show starts, and before we know it, we’re hooked. We need to believe it, and so we do.
Joe Landry’s humble spectacle works (it seems to me) because it captures the spirit of the story. It’s a “community” effort. Everyone in Bedford Falls prays for George, and glad to do so. Their prayers diffuse like radio waves up to God. The cast is a team, converging to share this poignant account. Each one tells a part of it. Moments like the rescue of George’s brother. The suitcase. George finally understanding Mary is the one for him. George lending money to Violet. Zuzu’s petals. The live radio version of It’s a Wonderful Life connects the performers to the audience, binding us in secular, yet sacred epiphanies. Or perhaps different ways of revealing the same one. We are not alone.
Richardson Theatre Centre staged It’s A Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play from December 1st-17th, 2023. 518 West Arapaho Road Suite 118. Richardson, TX 75080. 972-699-1130. RichardsonTheatreCentre.net