courtesy photo
Included in the cast of “It’s A Wonderful Life – Radio Play” at the Greensboro Church were (left to right) Gina Jenkins, Tom Anastasio, Rosann Hickey, Jeff Pierpont, Ted Fullard, Krissie Ohlrogge, Ed Sunday-Winters, Becky Browning, Doug McGown, Bill Eisner and Nat Smith.
by David K. Rodgers, Community Journalist
GREENSBORO – Last Thursday evening and Saturday afternoon the Lakeside Players gave a heart-warming performance of “It’s A Wonderful Life; a Live Radio Play” at the Greensboro United Church of Christ.
This production featuring nine local actors, was an adaptation for stage by Joe Landry of the popular original 1946 movie starring Jimmy Stewart and Donna Reed, directed by Frank Capra.
The clever, readers’ theater version follows the life of the hero, George Bailey (Jeff Pierpont) from his birth around WWI in the very ordinary small town of Bedford Falls, through growing up and his aspirations to go to college, leave town, and succeed as a great builder of skyscrapers and bridges. But he is repeatedly stymied in his life plans and ends up remaining in his hometown, with modest success in business and a happy marriage to Mary (Becky Browning) with several children.
The totally unanticipated loss of a substantial sum of money puts him in jeopardy of bankruptcy or worse, to the point where he contemplates suicide.
All this unfolding story of his life is, from the beginning of the play, being overseen and narrated by two figures looking down from Heaven, Joseph, Superintendent of Angels (Nat Smith) and Clarence Oddbody, AS-2 (Bill Eisner). The latter intervenes at the last moment to save George from self destruction and show him how sadly the world would have gone if he had never been born.
The overarching theme of this play is a powerful one, namely that we have a much deeper positive effect on many others, friends, loved ones, our community, than we might realize.
In a happy ending, a wiser George rejoins his family for Christmas celebrations and the whole cast finishes the play by singing “Old Lang Syne.”
The production, nominally set in radio station WGUC, called for some actors to voice many characters. Doug McGown played the palpably evil Mr. Potter, George’s younger brother Harry, a taxi driver, and several others.
Krissie Ohlrogge was the town’s “bad girl” Violet, Ruth Dakin and young Janie Bailey. Ed Sunday-Winters voiced George’s friend, Sam and the bumbling Uncle Billy. Ted Fullard was Mr. Gower, Bert the cop, and George’s son, Pete. Rosann Hickey played George’s mother, and gave herself the immortal line spoken by George’s little daughter Zuzu, “Every time a bell rings, an angel gets his wings.”
The cast was ably supported by the work of sound effects team, Tom Anastasio and Gina Jenkins, who were a whole show in themselves. Sound design by Kyle Gray was excellent; Ted Fullard created the set; Rosann Hickey directed, and Jeff Pierpont acted as producer.
Every one was convincingly in character, changing their voices expressively to suit each role, and the whole performance flowed with a fine momentum. The empathetic message of the play resonated well with the Christmas season and added nicely to the GUCC’s Community Assistance fund which is used to support neighbors in need throughout the year.
Lakeside Players will be working with the Lakeview Elementary School in the spring on a production of “Boots–The Musical!” For more information, contact Rosann Hickey at [email protected].
