River City Players' to hold auditions for 'It's a Wonderful Life'

River City Players Community Theatre is holding auditions at 1 p.m. Aug. 26 and 6:30 p.m. Aug. 28 for willing individuals to participate in its live radio performance of the classic Christmastime tale, �It�s a Wonderful Life,� set to debut Nov. 8 at Port Cape Girardeau.

Debbie Barnhouse, River City Players� vice president, said this is not the first time the group has presented a �live radio� production, but it has been several years since the last one.

She said years ago, one of the ladies involved with the Players wanted to do a radio show, �and we had never done one before.�

Barnhouse said the last show � nearly eight years ago � was a big success.

Holly Raines, River City Players director for �It�s a Wonderful Life,� wanted to do a radio show, according to Barnhouse, after realizing there was already an existing script for a live radio adaptation.

�So she jumped on the bandwagon,� Barnhouse said.

�It�s a Wonderful Life� � set in the 1940s � is the story of George Bailey, who has spent his entire life giving of himself to the people of his hometown, Bedford Falls.

He has longed to travel since childhood but never had the chance. George�s life goal became preventing local rich businessman Henry Potter from taking over the entire town and George�s business, Bailey Building and Loan.

On Christmas Eve, George�s uncle loses the business� $8,000. When the deficiency is discovered later that night, George realizes he will be held responsible, sent to jail, and the company would soon collapse.

George begins thinking he would be better off dead. But the prayers of loved ones trigger an angel�s arrival, Clarence, to help George with his struggles and to reveal to him how life would be without him.

The four main roles in the production, Barnhouse said, are George Bailey, Mary Hatch-Bailey, Clarence and the narrator.

�All the other roles will be doubled up,� she said. �Somebody may be playing the next-door neighbor, and the next time they come on, they may be playing the lady who was shopping.�

Depending on how many people show up for auditions, Raines said some actors may even play �three or four smaller roles.�

�I�m hoping that, at the most, there will be eight actors,� Raines said.

The great thing about a radio show, according to Barnhouse, is that �there is no memorization; you just read your lines.�

�We understand that we know what we�re doing; it�s just getting the people to come and audition that�s interested in doing something like this,� she said.

The stage, she said, would even be set up like �an old radio station� � with vintage microphones.

More information regarding River City Players� Community Theatre�s performance Nov. 8 to 11 can be found at its Facebook page.

jhartwig@semissourian.com

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