UNION, NJ — “It’s a Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play” is coming to DMK Black Box Theater at the new Union Arts Center. Production dates are Friday, Dec. 12, to Sunday, Dec. 21.
Presented by American Theater Group, the play is based on the classic film. The 90-minute adaptation is performed as a 1940s live radio broadcast in front of a studio audience.
The production will be led by director Joseph Discher, who has worked off-Broadway and with regional theatres across the country.
Discher, who grew up in Flanders, started out playing violin. He was going to go to music school, but when he was playing for a musical in high school, he could hear the audience responding to the show and thought he had to be a part of it. He then auditioned for his first play.
While in college, Discher saw that a lot of actors were also directing. From college, he did an internship at Shakespeare Theater in New Jersey and was there for 20 years.
In 2018, he was hired to direct “It’s a Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play” in Hoboken and had an amazing time doing it. He said, “It’s beautiful, fun, poignant… It’s a wonderful adaptation of a wonderful story that gives fresh life. Very theatrical. The actors are switching roles so often, just with changing their voice or facial expressions. The story doesn’t lose any power or poignancy. There are incredible moments between the angel and George Bailey.”
Having done the play in 2018, Discher is looking forward to doing it again. He said, “So many people love the movie and know the adaptation. It only requires a small cast. The show relies on this wonderful cast of characters. I got four of the six members back from 2018. A terrific group of people. Two actors are new to working with me on this show, but worked on other shows before. All incredibly talented, versatile people. The beautiful thing about the show, all this theater magic and voice magic.”
Discher recognizes the significance of the message of the play. He said, “It’s this really important lesson and story for our time, that we’re all connected. We may feel like what we do doesn’t matter, but it does. The smallest act of kindness can save someone’s life. We’re all reminded of that. It’s why you do theater. You’re really affecting people. This show does that in every way. It will make people laugh. It will make people cry. That’s why people watch the movie every year.”
Continuing, Discher said, “It’s easy to feel a little hopeless, a little lost. It’s a great pick-me-up for anybody who is feeling a little blue.”
Discher lives in Bloomfield. When he’s not directing, he spends time with his family and children. He likes to play Dungeons & Dragons. He also narrates audio books.
The Union Arts Center is located within the new state-of-the-art Public Library at 1980 Morris Ave. in Union. The Arts Center includes the DMK Black Box Theater, the Union Art Gallery curated by Les Malamut, Union TV studios, classrooms and The Center Café. For tickets to “It’s a Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play,” visit: https://www.uniontownship.com/.
Photos Courtesy of American Theater Group and Philip Guerette.
