At times we’ve all become so consumed by the demands of work and everyday life that we forget to appreciate the things that matter most in our lives. That’s why Thanksgiving is so beloved — it reminds us to be grateful for the bounty we enjoy and the people we cherish.
It is exactly this quality that has made “It’s a Wonderful Life” an enduring classic.
“It makes you count your own blessings, it really does,” said Judy Hendrix, who is directing the production at Anacortes Community Theatre. “It’s a universal story. It has a universal message that family and love are what count in life, not money.”
The heartwarming drama by Philip Van Doren Stern opens Friday and continues through Dec. 20 at ACT.
In case you missed the nonstop “It’s a Wonderful Life” marathons years back when the film temporarily fell into public domain, it is about George Bailey, a decent man whose big dreams are dashed by family obligations. On Christmas Eve, when it seems George’s sacrifices have been in vain, guardian angel Clarence shows him the impact he has had on the world and the people he loves.
Tim Brown leads the strong ACT cast as George. Rebecca Launius, Brown’s real-life significant other, is George’s wife Mary.
Brown brings a wonderful freshness to the role, perhaps because he first saw the film only a year ago.
“Rebecca made me watch it. I absolutely loved it,” he said.
“It’s a classic we all love,” Hendrix agreed.
“This is one of the timeless stories. Everyone will fall in love with the characters,” Brown said.
In a rehearsal last week, Brown seemed to channel George’s struggles. George wants to see the world, go to college and become a great engineer or architect. Instead, he takes charge of the family’s small-town savings and loan, marries and has children. On Christmas Eve, a lost bank deposit and a sick child push him to the brink of disaster.
“Everyone has thought about jumping off a bridge, but if you really look at your own life you can see how many lives you’ve impacted,” Brown said. “Everyone can connect to this story in a real way. Whether you’re a guy or a girl, everyone cries at the same point during the play.”
Don’t look for a Jimmy Stewart impersonation, although Brown can do a good one for laughs. He said it would distract the audience.
“I have to steer away from that. This is still a play about real people. Even a hint of him and they’re not into our show,” he said.
Even so, viewers already know and love the character.
“Living up to that is very difficult, but at the same time wonderfully challenging,” Brown said.
Hendrix encouraged cast members to make the parts their own.
“The actors, especially all the leads, have really developed their characters and not copied the movie,” she said.
Idyllic Bedford Falls and Anacortes bear striking similarities, including the fact that both towns developed character through a lot of hard work, and they way townspeople respond to a disaster. The hardships faced in “It’s a Wonderful Life” and its message of hope resonate in today’s economic climate.
“There’s a run on the bank. You couldn’t get financing. One woman says ‘my husband hasn’t worked for a year.’ But all things seem to work out,” Hendrix said.
The sentiments simply transcend time.
“There’s so many quotes that are so powerful: ‘You see George, you’ve really had a wonderful life. Don’t you see what a mistake it would be to throw it away?’ There are a lot of phrases that just grab you,” Hendrix said.
Adding to the warmth of ACT’s production is a strong sense of family. Bailey daughters Zuzu and Janie are played by Launius’ daughters Adriana and Veronica Crommett. Stage manager Mary Ann Settera’s son Marcus Settera plays a role. Uncle Billy, Aunt Tilly and Violet are played by a husband, wife and daughter, Terry and Carolyn Scott and Kimberly Morgan, all new to Anacortes.
Malcolm Taylor plays unrepentantly nasty Mr. Potter. Robin Begin is Clarence and Nat Jenkins plays Young George and Pete Bailey. Other cast members are Melissa Newbry, Adam Shipman, Melissa Bridges, Jan Trumble, Burt Newbry, Brian Thurston, Nora Woofenden, Jenee Geoghegan and Nancy Begin.
The elaborate set pieces were designed and built by Billy Hendrix and Bruce Rolfe with Hendrix and artists Cheryl Reid and Anneke DenHaan.
“It’s like having nine sets. It is a real labor of love, committing to the theater,” Hendrix said.
‘It’s a Wonderful Life’
The heartwarming family drama “It’s a Wonderful Life” opens Nov. 28 and continues through Dec. 20 at Anacortes Community Theatre, 918 M Ave. Curtain times are 7:30 p.m. Thursdays and 8 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays, with 2 p.m. Sunday matinees Dec. 7 and 14. Tickets are $16. Call 293-6829.
