It's A Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play at Portland Stage

Celebrate the Holiday Season with this beloved American classic. This heartwarming story of renewal is presented as a 1940s radio broadcast with sound effects performed live on stage. With the help of an ensemble and an angel named Clarence, George Bailey learns the million different ways that we are tied to those around us.WHAT IS A LIVE RADIO PLAY?Before television, the largest popular form of entertainment was the radio. Much like today, families would have their dinner and then sit around the radio waiting to hear either the news or their favorite radio program. Radio shows were usually done by just a few actors playing multiple characters and there was a person responsible for all of the sounds created during the show. Commercial Breaks were done by the same actors that enacted the plays! Comparisons to today might be Prairie Home Companion, the live radio show by Garrison Keillor.