It’s a wonderful life for all of us
Laureen F. Guenther
Times Contributor
It’s a Wonderful Life opens on Rosebud Theatre’s stage, Nov. 1.
This story “is probably the most articulate play when it comes to (Rosebud Theatre’s 2013) theme of ‘Your life matters,’” says director Morris Ertman. The main character George Bailey is “a big dreamer, who doesn’t ever get to follow that dream, and lives what he thinks is an ordinary, unimportant life,” he says. “But George Bailey is anything but unimportant.”
The show is being presented in a radio play format.
“The audience will see actors at microphones acting out the story, with old-fashioned live sound effects in the background,” Ertman says. “The actors play many roles, so part of the fun is watching a person transform from one character to another through the use of their voice… Those actors will be interacting in dynamic ways that actually result in them acting out the story.”
Rosebud resident actor Nathan Schmidt, who played in both of Rosebud’s summer shows — Cotton Patch Gospel and Underneath the Lintel, looks forward to playing George Bailey.
“There’s something about (George Bailey) that’s kind of timeless,” Schmidt says, “an innocence I find that he continues to hold.”
There’s also “a clarity about what he says,” Schmidt observes. “It’s so great to have just the perfect thing to say in the perfect moment. And George does that a couple of times … It’s fun to have those speeches.”
The key aspect of George Bailey’s character, what drives the story forward, is that he “doesn’t ever get to do what he wants to do,” Schmidt says, “but I think his heart changes.”
“How many of us have these dreams that we think would make our life better, and we can’t see right in front of us all of this?” Schmidt asks. “We all want to know that our life has meaning, that we have worth.”
George Bailey nears the end of his life, thinking he’s done nothing of value, but then is able to look back and sees the impact he’s made. “It’s such a wonderful moment for an audience and for us to see,” Schmidt says, “and just to hope that in our moment of need, we have that group of people surrounding us.”
It’s an opportunity for the audience to consider our own lives. “I can think about my life now in the context of what would happen if I wasn’t in it. Who are the people who would be affected?” Schmidt says. “We can just trace it back, and think if I wasn’t here, this wouldn’t happen and that wouldn’t happen … (George Bailey) sacrifices so much and the reward is so great.”
It’s a Wonderful Life is “this story of redemption and of worth and love and support and villains and good guys,” Schmidt says. “It hits all the buttons.”
He hopes the play will help audiences “find a new bunch of worth within themselves and be able to look at the world with that. Just that they’ll come and just recognize their worth within the context of the community and their families.”
It’s a Wonderful Life plays Nov. 1 to Dec. 23. Tickets and information are available at 1-800-267-7553 and www.rosebudtheatre.com.