Dramaturgy
November 29 through December 31, 2006
It's a Wonderful Life: a Live Radio Play
By Joe Landry
Adapted from the film by Frank Capra
Directed by Marty Higginbotham
A Chicago holiday favorite back for its fifth year, it's the classic story lovingly performed as a period radio play. ATC's celebrated Ensemble plays your favorite roles with heart and passion, supported by live music and live Foley sound effects.
An Unlikely Classic: The Story of It's a Wonderful Life
Many Americans identify It's a Wonderful Life as a beloved part of the canon of Christmas culture, an annual treat to watch with the family around the holidays. However, this was not always the case; the film's classic status is actually only a recent development. In fact, this Christmas favorite has run into problems at every stage of its brief history.
It's a Wonderful Life originated as a short story, written by Philip Van Doren Stern in 1943. He was unable to find a publisher for the story, so Van Doren Stern printed the story on Christmas cards, and sent it out to two hundred people, hoping his charming tale would “catch on.” When Frank Capra read the story at a friend's home, he immediately fell in love with it, claiming that he'd “been looking for it all [his] life.”
Capra then created the 1946 film, starring Jimmy Stewart, Donna Reed, and Lionel Barrymore. Despite the all-star cast, though, the movie was a flop at the box office. Many speculated that the movie was “too dark” for post- war Americans; in a season of prosperity and hope, no one wanted to watch a man about to end his life around the holidays. The film was nominated for five Academy Awards, including Best Actor, Best Director and Best Picture, but won none. The film faded into obscurity, really only becoming a Christmas classic in the 1970s when it no longer had copyright protection and television stations began airing it for free each December. It never made money.
The film is unique in its identification of the American experience and especially the despair that is felt by many around the holidays. On the other side of this coin, it taps into the commonly-felt appreciation and celebration of life and family, especially when things seem unbearably dark. In 1945 both Jimmy Stewart and Frank Capra had just returned from the war, and Capra used this film as a way of expressing many of his ideas about capitalism, society and relationships - slightly less rosy thoughts that had come to him when he considered his life in the face of death. In fact, the film received harsh criticism for its political message, and was labeled as subversive by the FBI in 1947.
But that wasn't the only effect that the war had on the film. Jimmy Stewart was on the verge of turning down the leading role of George Bailey, feeling that he was not ready to return to the screen after returning from the war, but Lionel Barrymore convinced him to take it. Stewart dove in head-first and ended up borrowing the name of his character from a man he had been stationed with in the field. The real George Bailey was later interviewed, stating that Stewart had liked his “everyman” quality and wanted to use the name for that reason.
Frank Capra poured his heart and soul into this film and, with Jimmy Stewart, often said that it was his favorite film of his career. Although it was not a hit with the original 1940s audiences, it has certainly gained a permanent place in the hearts of Americans - overcoming the often difficult circumstances of its inception.
Cast
| James Leaming | George Bailey |
| Jenni Fontana | Mary Bailey, Ma Bailey |
| John Sanders | Harry Bailey, Ernie, Martini, others |
| John Sterchi | Uncle Billy, Peter Bailey, Nick, and others |
| John Mohrlein | Mr. Potter, Clarence, Mr. Gower, and others |
| Ashley Bishop | Violet Bick, Mrs. Hatch, Ruth Dakin, Zuzu, and others |
| Ben Dicke | Announcer |
Designers and Production Staff
| Tom Burch | Scenic Design |
| Katy Peterson | Lighting Design |
| Michelle Tesdall | Costume Design |
| Tamara Roberts | Sound |
| Robert Groth | Associate Scenic Design/Properties Master |
| Phillip Caldwell | Composer |
| Jaclyn Holsey | Stage Manager |
| Laura Dieli | Production Manager |
| Jaclyn Holsey | Stage Manager |
| Sean Okerberg | Foley artist |
| Brendan Henry | Piano player |