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It started-out as a 4,100-word short story that no publisher was interested in. Unable to find a publisher, author Philip Van Doren Stern cranked out 200 copies for friends as Christmas presents in December of 1943. There was a Hollywood producer who became interested in the story. He ended up buying the film rights for $10,000. Not a bad pay day for a short story, but it’s kind of a bargain considering the movie based on that story ended up being It’s A Wonderful Life-- a film which has become a holiday institution in a variety of different ways over the decades.
This coming December, UW-Parkside Theatre and Arts Department presents a staging of the Joe Landry retro show It’s A Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play. Originally staged in 1996, the play features a cast of actors portraying actors from the golden age of radio. It’s a fun show. The UW-Parkside production is being directed by Jennifer Sassaman. It’s 90 minutes without intermission.
It’s A Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play runs Dec. 4 - 7 at the Main Stage Theater at the Rita Tallent Picken Regional Center for Arts & Humanities on the campus of UW-Parkside in Kenosha. For ticket reservations, visit UW-Parkside online.
