Kokomo Civic Theatre weekend production brings a twist to a Christmas classic

Dec. 1—The Kokomo Civic Theatre will approach a classic holiday story from a fresh angle this weekend.

Its production of "It's a Wonderful Life" won't show George Bailey's revelation that his life has worth. Instead, the feel-good message will primarily be portrayed through voice acting.

Director Ted Haun explained the Christmas classic was reimagined as a 1940s radio broadcast with voice actors, sound effects and a live studio audience.

A benefit of the radio broadcast retelling, Haun said, is that cast members are able to keep their scripts in hand during performances. Keeping the scripts on stage, he added, let the cast cut back on rehearsals.

The set is meant to look like an actual radio station. Vintage-looking microphones are lined up along the stage and a few desks off toward the side are covered with items the show's foley artist will use for sound effects.

Elizabeth McQuiston will be stationed at the desk during performances. For the most part, any sound that isn't a spoken line will come from her.

"She works miracles at that desk," Haun said. "It's a very sound effects-heavy show."

McQuiston said she's enjoyed her first shot at being a foley artist. She had taken on just about every other job a theater production can offer, and wanted to try something new.

A container of jelly beans, a hand-cranked siren and shoes with handles are among the props that can be found on her desk. Naturally, there's a bell, too.

"It has been fun collecting it all and deciding what makes the best sound," McQuiston said.

She's had to get creative while figuring out which items to use. For example, she slaps a segment of a rubber hose against a baseball glove to imitate the sound of someone being punched.

Another prop sounds like a strong gust of wind when McQuiston cranks a handle. There was a wind machine in Kalamazoo, Michigan, the foley artist explained, but the KCT decided it would be easier to make its own.

The cast was still going back and forth Tuesday on which sound effect they wanted to use when Clarence, an angel, descends from Heaven — it was between wind chimes and a slide whistle.

They were also excited to use a contraption that could safely shatter a pane of glass. In previous rehearsals, McQuiston explained, she dropped a box filled with shards to produce a similar noise.

Having directed several shows in the past, Haun said he's never worked on a production quite like the KCT's retelling of "It's a Wonderful Life."

"It's got its own quirks. It's been really fun," Haun said.

Expecting most of the audience members to be familiar with the 1946 film of the same name, he said it's been a bit of a challenge to add his own spin to the play. He's made sure to snuff out impressions of the film's cast, though.

"Being the director, it allows me to be out putting my spin on a show," Haun said. Chuckling, he joked, "And quite frankly, I enjoy telling people what to do every once in a while."

Noah Cicalo, who recites George Bailey's lines, said it's the first production he's worked on that has let him keep a script on stage during performances. However, he said the show still has some challenges when it comes to performing using little more than his voice.

It's also difficult to top James Stewart's film performance as George, Cicalo admitted. He's interested to see what the radio show performance is like for audience members.

"This is a whole new format," Cicalo said. "It's fun. It's going to be interesting. It's going to be different and hopefully everybody experiences that."

As a counselor at Community Howard Regional Health, Cicalo said he enjoys the story's way of showing George his life has meaning.

"It's not just that he's helped all these people, he's helped these people in extremely significant ways," Cicalo said. He added, "I get to help people, but I don't usually get to see the end result."

The actor said he hopes audience members leave the theater reflecting on the impact they have on others and that their lives have meaning.

"Hopefully, they have fun and laugh a little bit," he added. "And hopefully, they walk away from it wanting some more plays."

James Bennett III can be reached at 765-454-8580 or james.bennett@kokomotribune.com.