American Theater Groups Will Host IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE Post Show Talkback
The event will be held following the Sun. Dec. 14th 2pm performance.
By: Stephi Wild Dec. 02, 2025
American Theater Group (ATG) will present a talkback following the Sun. Dec. 14th 2pm performance of Joe Landry’s It’s A Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play at the DMK Black Box Theater at the Union Arts Center in Union.
ATG Artistic Director Jim Vagias, Director Joseph Discher and cast members will participate in the free post show event and will examine the process of presenting the classic film as a 1940s live radio broadcast in front of a studio audience. The production features five versatile actors performing the dozens of characters while a live foley artist produces the necessary sound effects and musical jingles.
Leading the cast are Aaron Michael McDaniel (The Woodsman/New World Stages) as George Bailey, Erica Knight (Charley's Aunt/Shakespeare Theatre of NJ) as Mary Hatch, Michael Daly (Windy City/Walnut St. Theater) as Mr. Potter, Joelle Zazz (The Lightning Thief: The Musical/New World Stages) as Violet, and Tim Nicolai (The Glass Menagerie, Broadway) as Clarence Oddbody. Foley artist Hannah Mount (It’s A Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play/Mile Square Theatre) is responsible for the sound effects, musical jingles and piano accompaniment and will demonstrate the effects during the talkback.
It's A Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play runs Fri. Dec. 5th at 7:30pm, Sat. Dec. 6th at 2:30pm and 7:30pm and Sun. Dec. 7th at 2:30pm at the Sieminski Theater in Basking Ridge, NJ. The production then moves to the DMK Black Box Theater at the new Union Arts Center in Union, NJ. Performance dates are: Fri. Dec. 12th at 7pm, Sat. Dec. 13th at 7pm, Sun. Dec. 14th at 2pm, Fri. Dec. 19th at 7pm, Sat. Dec. 20th at 2pm and 7pm and Sun. Dec. 21st at 2pm. Tickets range from $45 to $55, with student and group rates available, and can be purchased at: americantheatergroup.org. It’s a Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play is presented through arrangement with Dramatists Play Service. www.dramatists.com. The remainder of the 2025-26 Season will be announced shortly.
The Sieminski Theater is located on the scenic campus of Fellowship Village at 8000 Fellowship Road in Basking Ridge, NJ. This beautiful, 257-seat state-of-the-art theater boasts an innovative design that exudes professionalism while maintaining an intimate ambiance. Tickets are available at www.sieminskitheater.org.
The Union Arts Center is located within the new, state-of-the-art Public Library at 1980 Morris Avenue in Union. The Arts Center includes the DMK Black Box Theater, the Union Art Gallery curated by Les Malamut, Union TV studios, classrooms, and The Center Café. Please visit https://www.uniontownship.com for more information.
American Theater Group (ATG), founded in 2012, produces new and classic works primarily by American Playwrights with an emphasis on the development of new works and the rediscovery of undeservedly neglected older ones. An Audelco Award-winning company, it also provides quality arts-in-education initiatives, including its New Works/New Voices playwriting program for high school students and its PlayLab program for BIPOC and queer playwrights.
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