‘Wonderful’ play hits church stage this weekend
A local church is once again hosting a stage production of one of Hollywood’s most beloved movies for its annual Christmas production.
St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church in Penticton will be hosting its second run at the classic, “It’s a Wonderful Life,” starting with matinee performances this Saturday and Sunday.
The 1946 Frank Capra-directed Hollywood movie, starring the legendary James Stewart as George Bailey, a man who has given up his dreams in order to help others and whose imminent suicide on Christmas Eve brings about the intervention of his guardian angel, is considered arguably the greatest Christmas movie of all time.
Colin Cross, a veteran actor, director and playwright who has been involved with annual Christmas productions at St. Andrew’s church since 2011, adapted his own screenplay for the 2018 production that will hit the church stage seven times in total.
The church has been hosting a Christmas play for many years and also hosted a Walk to Bethlehem re-enactment for 10 years.
St. Andrew’s hosted a different incarnation of “It’s a Wonderful Life” back in 2012 and it was a success, but to save money on expensive royalty charges, Cross stepped forward to write his own adaptation for this year’s show.
Cross said the play remains faithful to the Hollywood movie script, with a few minor tweaks.
“Most of what’s in the screenplay, which is in the public domain, is what I used, with very little change” he said. “As we went along, I found I didn’t have to change much, but I certainly did tighten things up in the first half to bring the play in at just under two hours.”
Ironically, Cross said he hadn’t seen the classic Hollywood film in its entirety until the church hosted “It’s a Wonderful Life” back in 2012.
“Some people say it’s hopelessly sentimental, but interestingly, when it was first released, it didn’t do that well at the box office,” he said. “The war had just ended and people weren’t in the mood for a supernatural drama and weren’t in the mood for any darkness.
“It wasn’t until it hit television in the 1970s that it took off and gained the worldwide attention and admiration it holds to this day.”
The production includes 14 actors and five support crew, and they have worked long hours over the past two months getting ready to hit the stage, said Cross.
Cross will be playing two roles himself, including George’s guardian angel and the villain Mr. Potter.
Penticton actor Alyosha Pushak, who now lives in Kelowna, will handle the lead role of George, while Paris Turner plays the female lead.
The 2018 production kicks off with a Saturday matinee at 2:30 p.m. and goes Sunday at the same time. The production continues next Monday, Dec. 10 at 7:30 p.m., Thursday, Dec. 13 at 7:30 p.m., Friday, Dec. 14 at 7:30 p.m., and Saturday, Dec. 15 and Sunday, Dec. 16 at 2:30 p.m.
Tickets can be purchased at The Dragon’s Den on Front Street and at the door. Tickets are $20 for adults and free for children age 12 and under.