There's holiday fun the whole family can enjoy in December when Delaware Theatre Company (DTC) presents the timely It's a Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play, written by Joe Landry, December 2 through December 20, 2009.  The classic Frank Capra film is re-told in the format of a 1940s radio show, complete with man-made sound effects, old-style commercials and live music.  An ensemble of performers will bring the characters of this beloved holiday favorite to life, and remind audiences why every life has an impact on its community. Directed by Anne Marie Cammarato, It's a Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play stars Michael Boudewyns, Maggie Kettering, John Morrison, Ed Swidey, and Sara Valentine.  Tickets are $35-$49 and may be purchased by calling the DTC Box Office at 302.594.1100 or in person at 200 Water Street, Wilmington. Tickets may also be purchased online at www.delawaretheatre.org. 

 It's a Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Playoriginally began over 20 years ago as a full stage version of the film, when Landry was asked by a friend to create an adaptation for a high school ensemble.  Having been inspired by Woody Allen's film Radio Days and his new-found interest in old time radio, Landry eventually shaped the production into a live radio play of the period.  It premiered in 1996 at Stamford Center for the Arts, where it saw great success.  It has become one of the most produced plays in the country since being published in 2006.

 The difference, Joe Landry says, between a radio play and a traditional play - with sets and actors reciting their lines - is that "the actors are using their scripts as they would in the 1940s and they are performing not only for the audience, but for the listening audience; which is the whole conceit that this broadcast is going out through the country."  Radio plays went out of fashion around the 1950s, and while Garrison Keillor has carried on the tradition with NPR's A Prairie Home Companion, the concept of a radio play, says Landry, has become a kind of lost art.  By having the actors perform the sound effects live in front of an audience, Landry says that the audience is able to create "the whole picture in their head which is a really cool way to experience the piece."

 "It's a joy to bring this holiday classic to DTC's stage, particularly in the format of an old-style radio show," says DTC Artistic Director, Anne Marie Cammarato. "Given the recent economic crisis, the story's relevance is undeniable.  We're delighted to retell it with some of the area's finest professional actors, in a charming and surprisingly funny manner." 

 Michael Boudewyns, Maggie Kettering, John Morrison, Ed Swidey, and Sara Valentine will take on over 35 roles and provide all the live sound effects needed to bring the story to life. With the exception of Morrison, four of the actors are each graduates of the esteemed Professional Theatre Training Program (PTTP) at the University of Delaware. 

 A recent Chicago transplant, Maggie Kettering will play Sally Applewhite "performing" Mary Bailey. She was previously on DTC's stage as Miep in The Diary of Anne Frank, Alice in Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, and at PTTP she performed in Taming of the Shrew, A Streetcar Named Desire, Uncle Vanya, Peter Pan, and the world premiere of Adrian Hall's Savages, Christians & Other Homo Sapiens.

 Ed Swidey, of Swarthmore, PA, will play Harry "Jazzbo" Heywood who "voices" a variety of characters like Bert the Cop, Sam Wainwright, and Clarence the angel. His recent credits include Hamm in Endgame with Egopo Classic Theatre, Featherstone in The White Room at The Hedgerow Theatre, and Rio Rita in The Hostage as a guest artist with the Resident Ensemble Players (REP) at the University of Delaware. 

 Michael Boudewyns is Jake Laurents "playing" George Bailey, while Sara Valentine plays Lana Sherwood "voicing" the likes of Violet Bick and George's daughters, Janie and ZuZu. Boudewyns and Valentine, both of Newark, DE and married, and are co-producers of Delaware's annual live radio broadcast of Charles Dickens' AChristmas Carol, now in its sixth year, and co-founders of ReallyInventiveStuff.com, creating vaudeville inspired performances for orchestras, museums, libraries and schools. Boudewyns was also previously seen at DTC in The Diary of Anne Frank, Treasure Island, Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and A Year with Frog and Toad. Valentine also appeared in Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and A Year with Frog and Toad, and with the REP asRopeen in The Hostage, Little Louison in The Imaginary Invalid, and Jackie Coryton in Hayfever. 

 John Morrison will also "voice" a number of characters in his role as Freddie Fillmore, including Uncle Billy, Ernie, and tavern owner Giuseppe Martini.  Morrison, of Lansdowne, PA, appeared last season as Gaston in Picasso at the Lapin Agile and as Mr. Dussel in The Diary of Anne Frank in 2007 at DTC. His recent credits include The Hothouse at the Lantern Theater Company, Pericles, Romeo & Juliet and Hamlet at the Philadelphia Shakespeare Theatre, and Reinventing Eden at InterAct, and Forrest: A Riot of Dreams at Walnut Street Theatre, as well as roles on the television series Hack and Law & Order.

 The creative team includes scenic designer Eric Schaeffer, costume designer Janus Stefanowicz, lighting designer Thom Weaver, sound designer Christopher Colucci, and stage manager Kari Krein.

 It's a Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play by Joe Landry runs December 2-20, 2009.  Opening Night is Saturday, December 5.  Evening performances are Wednesday through Saturday at 8PM (except 12/11); matinee performances are Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday at 2PM (except 12/2 and 12/5); and a Friday Early Show on December 11 at 6:30PM. Tickets are $35-$49, depending on the performance day and time, with special discounts for students, seniors, and groups of 10 or more.  DTC also encourages participation in its Bring-a-Teen program, designed for young people as a way to foster an understanding of and appreciation for live theatre. Every adult that purchases a regular-priced ticket can receive one free ticket to bring a teenager (ages 13-19) to the performance.  The tickets must be purchased in person at the box office, with the teenager present, no earlier than 30 minutes prior to the performance. This show is appropriate for ages 10 and up.