'It's a Wonderful Life' to be staged at Orrville theater
By Tami Mosser Staff Writer
ORRVILLE — It's one of the holiday's most recognizable story plots: At the lowest moment of his life, George Bailey is visited by an angel who shows him what the world would have been like had Bailey never been born.
Most often revisited through the magic of black-and-white film, the story will come to the Orrville Community Theater stage this season, opening Dec. 13 at 7 p.m. and continuing Dec. 14 and 15 at 7 p.m. and Dec. 16 at 2:30 p.m. The theater is located at 307 Hostetler Road (in the Save-A-Lot plaza).
Tickets are $10 in advance online via Eventbrite and $15 at the door.
"This is (a show) we wanted to do for a couple of years," said director Sam Gonzalez, who most recently directed the company's production of "The Odd Couple" in August. "We finally got around to doing it."
Fans of the Jimmy Stewart-Donna Reed movie version will recognize all the main characters and many of the lines, said Gonzalez. But the stage version is a bit shorter than the 1946 movie, which clocked in at two hours and 15 minutes, and lacks some of the scenes.
In other words, don't expect the high school gym floor to open and reveal a swimming pool beneath, though Gonzalez said that memorable scene is hinted at in the dialogue. Still, he said, "it gets all the most important moments."
Taking on the lead role of George Bailey is OCT newcomer Sean Eppler, a graduate of the University of Mount Union who currently serves as choral director at Waynedale High School. George's long-suffering wife, Mary, is portrayed by Kathleen Moore, and Ed Griffie is the villainous banker Mr. Potter. Michael Gonzalez will preside as Clarence, the guardian angel.
"I'm going to preface the show," Gonzalez said, with a brief note that while the show's characters are familiar, "I'm trying to have everybody take their own spin on it." That being said, he noted that the story is a favorite of his own family. "Coming to see it live is just a next step," he said, "getting a fresh look at what the story is all about."
Reporter Tami Mosser can be reached at 330-287-1655 or tmosser@the-daily-record.com