Thanks to Broadway On Demand and Director Gai Jones the Ojai Art Center Theater presents “It’s A Wonderful Life A Live Radio Play” Saturday, December 12 at 7 pm through Saturday, December 19 at midnight. This unique streaming production comes as OACT’s first show since the pandemic caused them to cancel the second play in their 2020 season.
“We need to know that even though we’re social distancing, theater can bring us together,” Jones said. “The crew and cast of ‘It’s A Wonderful Life A Live Radio Play’ have created a digital performance which brings the theme home. It IS a wonderful life; we’re glad you were born.”
The story’s uplifting message reminds us everybody exists for a reason. George Bailey plans his suicide on Christmas Eve until the intervention of his guardian angel. With the angel’s help George learns how he made a difference in the life of his wife Mary and in his community of Bedford Falls.
Joe Landry based the play on Frank Capra’s now classic film staring Jimmy Stewart released in 1946. The American Film Institute recognized “It’s a Wonderful Life” as one of the 100 best American films ever made. They listed it Number One on its list of the most inspirational American films of all time.
Mary Owen, daughter of Donna Reed who played Mary Bailey, has introduced screenings of “It’s a Wonderful Life” at the IFC Center in New York City since 2007. “The movie didn’t do well when first released.” Owen said. “I think it was too soon after the war and I don’t think people wanted to see a depression era movie.”
Capra directed documentary war films during World War II, and Stewart served in the Army Air Corps. When he returned to Hollywood Stewart wanted to quit acting because he thought it too frivolous. His good friend Lionel Barrymore convinced him that he could reach people and effect the world as an actor.
In the confusion of film company mergers the copyright on “It’s a Wonderful Life” never got renewed so it fell into the public domain. In the 1970s television stations looking for inexpensive programing capitalized on the movie’s status and aired it continuously through the holidays.
“In my audiences in New York I get mostly people in their twenties and early thirties,” Owen said. “I kid you not. They grew up watching it with their parents and want to continue the tradition. So that movie will never die.”
Owen knows Jones through the Donna Reed Festival in Denison, Iowa, where Jones taught high school youth from around the nation for several summers. Before that Jones taught Theater at El Dorado High School in Placentia, CA for thirty-four years. When she retired the school changed the name of their theater to The Gai Jones Theater. She wrote four Theater Education books, directs, produces educational productions, and is a SAG-AFTRA member and part of the SAG-AFTRA Radio Players. She’s the proud recipient of the OACT Lifetime Achievement Award and the Ojai Arts Commission Award 2020.
Lionel Barrymore convinced Jimmy Stewart to keep acting, Clarence the angel showed George Bailey he made a difference, and Gai Jones connected OACT with Broadway On Demand. This all adds up to “It’s A Wonderful Life A Live Radio Play” streaming December 12 through 19. Tickets, available at ojaiact.org/iawl for $12.95.