APU Theater Presents Joe Landry’s It’s A Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play

November 04, 2024

Azusa Pacific University’s Department of Theater Arts presents Joe Landry’s adapted version of It’s A Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play. The show runs from November 7-16 with Friday and Saturday performances at 7:30 p.m., as well as Saturday matinee shows on November 9 and 16 at 2 p.m. The production takes place in the Black Box Theater, located on APU’s West Campus, at 701 E. Foothill Blvd. in Azusa. Free parking is available. General admission tickets cost $22, with discounted tickets for senior citizens, children, students, and alumni. For tickets, call the Felix Event Center Box Office at (626) 815-5494 or order them online. Purchasing tickets in advance is highly recommended.

The story follows George Bailey on his journey of self-discovery and redemption, told as a live radio play complete with authentic sound effects and vintage commercials. Landry began adapting the play nearly 20 years ago when his longtime friend Frances Kondzeila asked him to adapt it for her high school ensemble. The play went on to be produced by TheaterWorks in New Milford, CT, and has since been adapted into a period-inspired live radio play instead which has since been a massive success. It’s A Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play is directed by Darryl B. Hovis, who also directed APU’s production of Our Town. Hovis is an adjunct professor in APU’s Department of Theater Arts and is the co-founder and former artistic director of the Culver City Academy of Visual and Performing Arts.

“APU theater students bring the entire town of Bedford Falls to life, taking on multiple roles and showcasing their voices and artistry,” said Jill Brennan-Lincoln, chair of the Department of Theater Arts.

APU’s plays and musicals are produced through a program of rigorous training. The Department of Theater Arts prepares outstanding, innovative, and influential artists in an ever-growing and multi-faceted performing arts profession. The department is nationally ranked for the BFA in Acting for The Stage and Screen program.