GHS Theatre Prepares for a Wonderful Production

Now that Thanksgiving has come and gone and holiday spirit is filling the halls, the GHS Theatre Department is in its final stages of preparation for their production of It’s A Wonderful Life next Thursday-Saturday, December 6-9.

While in previous years the fall play has taken place in early November, the opportunity to move it back a few weeks has been beneficial to the entire production team, and was one of the reasons director Eric Christiansen chose this particular show.

“A year ago the performing arts teachers were discussing the 2017-18 performance schedule, and there seemed to be an opportunity to move the fall play to a later, early December, time slot.  Recognizing this year as a good time to experiment with the revised schedule led me to consider a Holiday-themed production,” Christiansen said.  “It’s A Wonderful Life embodies the essence of the Holiday spirit and was a natural fit for the season and for the group of students we would likely have who would audition.  Plus, I love the movie and the message of this show.”

The main character, George Bailey, is played by junior Luc Marchessault, and the leading lady, Mary Hatch, is played by senior Julia Brooks.  Additionally, George Bailey’s guardian angel, the loveable Clarence Odbody, is played by freshman Megan Jacobs.

“I love acting and I have a passion for acting so I love being on the stage,” Jacobs said.  “I also really like the social aspect and the environment we create. It’s fun to socialize with upperclassmen and they’re very accepting of underclassmen.”

Junior Ryan Unruh, who plays Mr. Welch, agrees that the friendships made during the rehearsal process are one of the greatest benefits of being in a show.

“My favorite part about being in the show has definitely got to be my cast mates.  They make rehearsals really fun and the relationships built beyond the cast make it a great experience,” he said.

Every role presents a challenge for actors, and for Unruh, playing a character who is nothing like him is difficult.

“The most difficult part of my role would have to be pretending to be drunk because I don’t have regular experience with being drunk and also trying to be mean because I’m not usually a mean person,” he said.

Jacobs doesn’t have as difficult a time relating to her character, but being a freshman presented her with a challenge.

“I think my role is a lot like me as in the happy aspect and free.  I thought the hardest part would be trying to connect with the actor who plays George because I didn’t know him, but I found out that Luc is awesome and really easy to play off of and work with,” she said.

For Brooks, the biggest challenge of playing Mary relates to the audience’s expectations.

“The most difficult part about playing Mary in It’s a Wonderful Life is trying to create my own character while still staying similar to the iconic movie version,” she said.

Speaking of the movie, the play is similar to it in some aspects, and different in some as well.

“The play had most of the same iconic scenes and lines from the movie, but is shorter and more condensed. Some scenes are near impossible to do, like when the floor of the high school gym opens up to the swimming pool and everyone jumps in, so those kinds of scenes are cut from the play,” Brooks said.

The order of events in the play is slightly different as well.

“One main difference is that Clarence appears in the first scene whereas in the movie he comes in halfway through.  If you’ve seen the movie it will be the same, but it will also be different because every actor has a different style and uniqueness to them which they bring to their role,” Jacobs said.

Because the cast rehearses so often, some actors have trouble managing their homework and rehearsals.

“Especially now that it is getting closer to the show, we have rehearsals almost every night. It’s hard to get homework done during rehearsals because you only have small breaks in between your scenes but before and after rehearsal you just have to stay focused. No TV or naps for me!” senior Sarah Kuhnke, who plays George’s Aunt Tilly, said.

For other cast members, however, managing homework and rehearsals isn’t a problem.

“Personally, it’s not that hard for me to manage because I haven’t had to come to many rehearsals because of my part, and if you are disciplined enough, you can do your homework during downtime,” Unruh said.

Jacobs agrees, and believes doing homework at rehearsal is beneficial for her.

“Most of the time I don’t think it’s hard to manage homework because I can get done with my homework quick, but I find it helpful that we can bring our homework to rehearsal and work on it there, and other people can help you study,” she said.

The rehearsal process began in September, and Christiansen sees it as the best part of the show.

“The rehearsal process has been extremely rewarding for me.  Having more time to work more in-depth with our fabulous cast has a been a real treat,” he said.

Everyone involved is very excited about the show and encourages everyone to come see it.

“It’s a Wonderful Life is quite a magical show, and the entire cast really brings it to life on stage. For those who are familiar with the movie, it’s a great production to see live. And for those who have never seen the movie, it’s a great chance to watch an amazing, heartfelt story that’s perfect for Christmas time,” Brooks said.

Jacobs agrees, and believes the emotions portrayed in the show say something about society.

“It has a marvelous message and it just helps show positivity in the world that we live in through all the negativity and negative thoughts people can think,” she said. “It shows that it’s ok to think those thoughts, but it shines a light on the positives.”

Unruh thinks students especially will enjoy the show because they get to see their classmates as different people.

“People should come see the show because it’s a moving story that is holiday themed and it is also fun to see your classmates play the interesting roles of the time period that is not this time period,” he said.

Overall, Christensen believes that It’s A Wonderful Life is the whole package.

“Come to see this show for the ultimate feel-good experience,” he said.  “It’s a delightful story. It touches on universal themes in a positive, heart-warming way. It’ll be fun and get you in the mood to celebrate what’s good about life!” he said.

The production runs next Thursday and Friday at 7:30 p.m. and next Saturday at 2 p.m.  Tickets are $8 for adults and $5 for students 18 and under.  Order forms can be printed off of the theatre department website, or remaining tickets will be sold at the door.