Staunton's Silver Line presents final weekend of 'It's a Wonderful Life: Live Radio Play'
STAUNTON — Silver Line Theatre Exchange presents "It’s a Wonderful Life: Live Radio Play" by Joe Landry, Thursday, Dec. 28 through Saturday, Dec. 30. The American holiday classic is reimagined by an ensemble of five actors plus a foley artist bringing the characters and sounds of the film to life on stage.
“The message of this story is one that will never go out of fashion,” said the theater's artistic director, Jeremy West. “And we have so enjoyed exploring the balance between nostalgia and timelessness with this piece.”
The roles of George and Mary Bailey are played by John Edward Williams and Makayla Baker Paxton, respectively, while Gary Alan Smith, Haley Fentriss Roberts, and Michael Blackwood round out the story with dozens more characters. Cori McDaniel provides live foley sound effects using a table laden with retro telephones, shoes, and other contraptions.
“The title says ‘radio play’ but trust me, there’s a lot to watch,” West said.
This is Silver Line Theatre Exchange's second holiday production, following the success of the one woman show The Twelve Dates of Christmas performed last year.
“Our goal is to have a different holiday show every year,” said West. “We hope our community can take a night off during their busy Decembers and come to the theatre for a night of nostalgia, storytelling, and togetherness.”
This production is second in the theater's five-show artistic season and is the first of two professional productions. "Art," by Yasmina Reza will be the second professional production and will perform in July 2024. The rest of the season includes educational shows performed by high school students. All productions are open to the public.
This will be the final weekend for "It’s a Wonderful Life." All performances are at 7:30 p.m. at the Warehouse; 211 N. Lewis St., Staunton. Doors open at 7 p.m.
For tickets and more information, visit silverlinetheatre.org/shows.
Silver Line Theatre Exchange is an education-led theatre company offering classes and performance opportunities for students in grades PK-12 and adults, and a professional producing body that connects regional professional actors and aspiring artists to performance and teaching work.
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— Patrick Hite is a reporter at The News Leader. Story ideas and tips always welcome. Contact Patrick (he/him/his) at phite@newsleader.com and follow him on Twitter @Patrick_Hite. Subscribe to us at newsleader.com
This article originally appeared on Staunton News Leader: Staunton's Silver Line presents 'It's a Wonderful Life: Live Radio Play'
