Photos: Bergen County Players To Present IT’S A WONDERFUL LIFE: A BCP RADIO PLAY

Bergen County Players will present IT’S A WONDERFUL LIFE: A BCP RADIO PLAY this December with a limited run at the Little Firehouse Theatre in Oradell. Check out photos of the cast.

The production, directed by Thomas Carey Gsell, will be performed on December 13 through December 20 with Saturday and Sunday evening performances at 7:30 p.m. The adaptation blends elements of Frank Capra’s film with the Lux Radio Theatre format to reimagine the classic story for the stage.

Set inside a bustling radio studio, the production uses an ensemble of performers and a Foley artist to evoke the world of Bedford Falls through live sound and character work. The narrative follows George Bailey as he confronts financial strain, unresolved ambitions, and a crisis on Christmas Eve that leads to an encounter with a mysterious visitor. The script draws from Philip Van Doren Stern’s 1939 short story The Greatest Gift, the source material for the 1946 film, which later entered the National Film Registry and received multiple Academy Award nominations.

Gsell makes their BCP Second Stage debut with this production. The cast of 16 includes Bradley Carrington as George Bailey, Katherine Stelma as Mary Hatch, Peter Downing as Clarence, Kate Stutzel as Joseph, Howell Mayer as Uncle Billy, and Jan Eggers as Potter, along with Jacob and Oliver Beser, Selena Doell, Elizabeth Steinfeld, Cheryl Woertz, Matt Newberg, Melissa Giordano, Tim Steinhoff, and Evie Eggers. Rob Kopil will serve as the Foley Artist, creating all live sound effects throughout the performance.

The production team includes Howell Mayer as producer; Scout Schiro as assistant to the director; Debbie Zika as stage manager; Allan Seward as lighting designer; Thomas Carey Gsell as projections designer; Rob DeScherer as sound designer; Tim Larsen as sound and projections consultant; Matt D’Elia as sound board and projections operator; Sandra Conklin as lighting board operator; Felicia Benson-Kraft, Scout Schiro, and Susan Kaufmann as costume designers; Tina Ferrara as properties designer; Ren Bailey as make-up and puppets designer; Jen Bancks as member-at-large; Richard Frant for photography; and Kay Koch for social media.

Ticketing

Tickets for IT’S A WONDERFUL LIFE: A BCP RADIO PLAY are priced at $20 and are available at bcplayers.org, by phone at 201-261-4200, or in person at the Little Firehouse Theatre box office, located at 298 Kinderkamack Road in Oradell, New Jersey.