Perseverance Theatre Presents THIS WONDERFUL LIFE Starring Wesley Mann

As part of their holiday offerings, Perseverance Theatre will be delighting audiences with an on demand, streaming version of the heartwarming classic, This Wonderful Life, Starring Wesley Mann. You may recognize him as the "I think he stole his wallet!" guy from Back to the Future, but now he plays forty different roles in this charming Christmas production.

Of his work on the show, Mann says, "Forty characters and sixty pages is a lot to memorize. Working on a one-man show is an endeavor without rest!"

Because the show will be streaming on demand, anyone anywhere in the state of Alaska, the United States, or even the world can view this production. Of this new performance medium, Mann said, "The downside of COVID theatre is not hearing an audience react. The upside, however, is that we are creating a new hybrid of theatre which is able to reach a wider audience."

The production is co-directed by Perseverance Theatre Artistic Director Leslie Ishii, and Associate Managing Director Josh Lowman.

Lowman talks about what It's a Wonderful Life, the film upon which the play is based, means to him - "It's a Wonderful Life is so much more than a Christmas movie. It's a story about all the ways we touch the lives around us. People often talk about unintended slights, microaggressions, but we don't often talk about the things we accidentally do right. The things we didn't realize we did because we're too busy living our lives and sometimes you need that reminder when everything comes crashing down."

Ishii acknowledges the play's relevance to pop culture and current events, despite being based on a film that is 74 years old - "This Wonderful Life, of course, brings me to the movie and all that I love about how people will come together when in duress. I have to say, that with the ongoing pandemic and uprisings, this theatre piece has never been so timely. George Bailey coming to terms with his life, what community means and our ability to ask for help, Mr. Gower's son, and what it means to truly re/find love, joy, and resilience during difficult times. I hope you will also join us for our community conversation on Dec. 16th, Creating in COVID: Silver Linings. Each person in our community matters ~ let's find joy and resilience together!"

This Wonderful Life will be available to stream on demand from December 19-25. Tickets are pay-as-you-can, with $12, $17, & $27 options available, and they are available at ptalaska.org/twl. Perseverance would like theatre to be accessible for all, but like many arts organizations, the current circumstances are challenging. Pay-as-you-can pricing means that those who can pay more have that option, and those who can't are still able to see the show.

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