'It's a Wonderful Life' comes to Cutting Hall
Palatine Park District will stage a live radio play of the 1946 classic holiday film “It's A Wonderful Life” Friday, Dec. 21, at Cutting Hall Performing Arts Center, 150 E. Wood St., Palatine.
The box office and lobby will open at 5:30 p.m. for ticket and raffle ticket sales. Carolers from the Palatine Children's Chorus will perform holiday favorites starting at 6:30 p.m.
“It's A Wonderful Life” Radio Play will begin promptly at 7 p.m. All profits from the event will support the Susannah's Gift Scholarship Fund. Tickets are $10 and available in advance and at the door.
“It's a Wonderful Life” tells the story of George Bailey and the town of Bedford Falls. George spends his entire life, giving up his big dreams for the good of his town, as we see in flashback. But in the present, on Christmas Eve, he is broken and suicidal over the misplacing of an $8,000 loan and the machinations of evil millionaire Mr. Potter.
His guardian angel, Clarence, falls to Earth, literally, and shows him how his town, family, and friends would turn out if he had never been born. This year's production at Cutting Hall features both local resident actors and professional actors from Chicago, from children to adults.
The 2018 production of the radio play is being directed by husband and wife Rob and Martha Southgate. Together, they run a digital media company called Southgate Media Group. One of the group's main focuses is supporting independent podcasts with recording, distribution, and marketing.
They themselves are producers of a number of podcasts as well. The Southgates have plenty of experience when it comes to radio plays. One of their podcasts, “Must Hear TV: A Parody Staged Reading,” brings TV screenplays to life through audio with the voices of many local actors.
The Susannah's Gift Scholarship Fund was established in memory of Susannah Kist, a longtime Palatine Park District theater and music teacher who died from cancer in 2009. The scholarship fund, made possible through the Palatine Park Foundation, assists residents with financial need who would like to participate in park district cultural arts activities.
“The radio play is not only a unique way to fundraise, it's a fantastic way to honor a woman that dedicated her life to bringing cultural arts opportunities to the community. Through the foundation, we are able to provide residents with the support they need to get on stage, grab a paint brush, sing or dance,” said Ashley Schiavone, cultural art coordinator.
Tickets are available through Cutting Hall Box Office and can be purchased in person at 150 E. Wood St., by phone at (847) 202-5222, or online at cuttinghall.org. For advance, in-person transactions, box office business hours are Wednesday through Saturday from 3 to 6 p.m. and one hour prior to each scheduled performance.