It’s A Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play took the stage for Student/Press Night on Wednesday, December 4th, 2024. Local critic Ben Sharp penned a review just in time for Opening Night:

During a time of year that has become synonymous with hustle, bustle, and overspending, the Plaza Theatre’s It’s a Wonderful Life seems particularly meaningful, offering a poignant consideration of the impact a single person can make through generosity and sensitivity to the needs of others.

Set to run from Dec. 6 through Dec. 15 with shows at 7:30 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays and 2:30 p.m. on Sundays, the show focuses on protagonist George Bailey and his struggle to come to terms with fate, meaning and expectation in 1940s era Bedford Falls, New York. It’s a well-known story, perhaps best represented by the 1946 film of the same title directed by Frank Capra and starring James Stewart and Donna Reed.

The Plaza Theatre’s production follows the movie nearly verbatim, though the story is told as a live radio play, meaning the actors stand at microphones and read their lines as if they were performing an on-air radio broadcast. The set — constructed by Burke and Sarah Wilkins — effectively transforms the Plaza stage into a broadcast room, complete with lit “applause” and “on the air” signage.

For transparency’s sake, it’s important to admit right off the bat that live radio plays are not my preferred genre. Typically I find them to be rather confusing, awkward and a less-than-ideal representation of the actors’ abilities. Though the Plaza’s presentation is the most impressive live radio play I have seen to date, the overall production feels somewhat stolid, the cast appearing slightly off-balance as they search for the footing needed to relay the proper emotion at the proper time.

I believe this to be a byproduct of the genre itself rather than any indication of error or neglect on the part of director Darin Mielke and assistant director Quinn Wrench. Both are veterans of the Plaza and have always impressed me with their expertise and skill.

The show’s primary actors are equally well-equipped, most having appeared in numerous other Plaza productions. Reagan Wrench, for instance, plays a staggering amount of characters in It’s a Wonderful Life, and, as always, handles them like a real pro. Yet, having witnessed Wrench’s portrayals in past shows — his performance in Deathtrap is one that I will never forget — it seems apparent that the structure of a live radio play is not particularly well-suited to his skill set. In It’s a Wonderful Life, I thoroughly missed the energy and physicality of Wrench’s usual performance, and I left the theatre with the sense that he had been underutilized. Even so, it must be noted that his portrayal of inebriated Uncle Billy Bailey is thoroughly entertaining.

I felt that Plaza veteran Jami Hughes is equally under-allocated. Widely respected for her lively portrayals and hilarious antics, Hughes seemed a bit shackled by the live radio play format. I missed her wit, energy, humor, and over-the-top style, though she still manages to connect with the audience in several places, bringing the laughs.

While Wrench and Hughes seemed bound by the live radio play format, the opposite was true for actors Mark Szafarz and Danté Hancock. Both found their rhythm during the performance, projecting clearly and emoting effectively. Szafarz’s command of accents is astounding, while Hancock’s energy is contagious. The pinnacle of Hancock’s performance is the scene where his character (George Bailey) loses patience with his family. The ferocity of Hancock’s line delivery left the audience stunned.

Plaza veteran Janice McDonald rounds out the principal cast, doing an admirable job with her various roles. She is charismatic, energetic and spirited, and seemed better suited for the play’s format than some of her fellow thespians.

Ryan Martin and McKenna Flores have a unique but pivotal role in the play, serving as Foley artists. Utilizing a dizzying array of gizmos and objects, they were tasked with creating sound effects aimed at bringing a radio broadcast to life. These included mimicking the opening and closing of doors, the thuds of a fistfight, footsteps walking through snow, the wail of a police siren and the howling wind of a blizzard. My only regret was that they were set at the back of the stage, behind the principal actors, and were thus difficult to notice by the audience.

Speaking of the audience, the play institutes some participatory sequences that included guided applause and singalongs. The songs were a welcome addition, with Wharton County Junior College music instructor Debra Lemson providing lively piano accompaniment. Most were well-known Christmas favorites such as “Hark! The Herald Angels Sing” and “Silent Night,” and all five of the principal actors did an amazing job of carrying the tune.
Stage decorations and costumes are the ideal supplement to the holiday play. These include poinsettias, brightly-wrapped microphone stands, a full Christmas tree with presents, a miniature Santa Claus statue and an overall green and red color scheme that is carried over to the actors’ suits, sweaters and dresses. Well-placed lighting creates a warm, pleasing atmosphere that helps the audience feel comfortable and relaxed.

The sound is overall very good, especially with the special effects. Some of the actors’ voices, however, do not project quite as well, remaining difficult to hear from as close as the third row.

Production credits include Leeanna Shimek on sound design, Kenneth Socha on lighting design, Jami Hughes on box office/house management, Russell Kacer on communications and Sharon Joines on photography.

The show is presented by Texasgulf Federal Credit Union.

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ABOUT BEN SHARP: Ben Sharp is is Marketing and Communications Coordinator for Wharton County Junior College and spends his days writing press releases, photographing a wide variety of college activities and publishing the college’s e-Newsletter. He previously spent 14 years as a reporter at the Wharton Journal-Spectator and also operated a photography business. He holds an English degree from the University of Houston. He lives in Wharton with his wife, Kristen, and their three kids, Madalyn, Andrew and Matthew.