Meet The Cast Of "It's a Wonderful Life"
So far, the first two weekends of It’s A Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play have been a blast! I’ve personally had quite a great time joining the festive atmosphere designers Casey Sacco and Arlette Del Toro have created at Island City Stage, enjoying our hot chocolate bar, and seeing audiences transported to the 1940s and touched by this incredible story. And, of course, none of the fun would be possible without our amazing cast. So, feel free to keep on reading if you’d like to learn a little more about some of the actors who bring all the “life” to It’s A Wonderful Life!
Noah Levine
1. Tell me a little bit about yourself and your theatre background!
When I was a young boy my parents were involved with a group called the Circle Players. Piscataway, NJ—Formed 1951 but never came back from Covid. Tragic. Anyway, I would get to come see anything they did that was family-friendly, and I guess that was the beginning of my enchantment. So I did it in high school, then majored in it in college, and so forth and so on.
2. What motivated you to get involved with this project? Have you seen It’s A Wonderful Life’s movie version, and do you have any special feelings or memories related to it?
I had never seen the movie until I met my wife. To say she's a big fan is an understatement— she's seen it like a hundred times, seriously. So I jumped when I heard about these auditions. The other big motivator being NCP itself, about which I'd heard great things for many years.
3. How do you feel about your character/s, and about stepping into their shoes when the original movie was so iconic?
In the movie, every one of these characters was played by a different person, whereas here, the 3 of us (outside of George and Mary) have to use our voices to differentiate, almost to a cartoonish extreme (but not quite!) just to make sure it's clear they're all unique. Fun to do, and hopefully fun to watch!
4.Do you have a specific creative process that you go through as an actor approaching a new script? If so, what does that generally look like?
I'm pretty utilitarian. Just have a good understanding of what you're doing scene by scene, make sure you're adequately seen and heard, and most importantly, connect with your scene partner(s). Of course, much of that goes out the window here, as we must instead focus on our proximity to the microphones, the particular cadence/tone we're using at any given time, etc, but the essentials of being strong and present should still see you through.
5. How have you found the experience of rehearsing and of working with this cast and creative team?
I mentioned earlier that I'd been hearing great things for a good while now, so all I can say is... it's everything I thought it would be and more! Just darn good people.
6. What effect do you hope that this play will have on audiences?
For the most part, we're gonna make a lot of people happy. But what would be really great is if we actually turn someone around who's feeling down, as Clarence did for George. Make them realize how important they are to the people in their lives.
Marlo Rodriguez
1. Tell me a little bit about yourself and your theatre background!
I was born and raised in sunny south Florida. I fell in love with theatre in middle school. With zero interest in playing sports or being outside, I decided to take drama as an elective and was stunned at how much I loved to play on stage. I attended Somerset Academy Arts Conservatory program for theatre in high school where in my senior year, I realized that theatre was something I wanted to do for the rest of my life, thanks to the guidance & support of my then drama teacher Tyler Johnson Grimes— WHO IS NOW OUR INCREDIBLE SOUND & FOLEY DESIGNER??? I received my BFA in theatre performance at FAU in 2021 and have since been working professionally as an actress and director in South Florida.
2. What motivated you to get involved with this project? Have you seen It’s A Wonderful Life’s movie version, and do you have any special feelings or memories related to it?
I love working with New City Players. This community of artists is a welcoming one with creative and talented people from all directions. I enjoy radio plays as well, and had no idea there was a radio play version of this classic holiday film. I had watched the film a few times as a child, but now as adult and actor in this production, in my recent viewings of the film, I have much greater appreciation and understanding of the work.
3. How do you feel about your character/s, and about stepping into their shoes when the original movie was so iconic?
It’s always an honor to be trusted to become a character, especially one as iconic as Donna Reed’s Mary Hatch.
4. Do you have a specific creative process that you go through as an actor approaching a new script? If so, what does that generally look like?
My process includes a lot of research into the time, place and people of the play. Understanding the culture of the characters, the history of where they reside and also learning about the playwright gives me context to build the world of our story in my head.
5. How have you found the experience of rehearsing and of working with this cast and creative team?
I’m having so much fun... the Grinch would say it’s too much fun. We get to play every time we step on stage.
6. What effect do you hope that this play will have on audiences?
I hope that audience members will allow themselves to have fun with us, and enjoy this imaginative and beautiful production.
Marcos Fuentes
1. Tell me a little bit about yourself and your theatre background!
My name’s Marcos Fuentes. I was born and raised in Miami. I’ve been focused on acting since middle school but I’ve been surrounded by the arts since I was a wee-babe. It’s A Wonderful Life : A Live Radio Play is only my second professional production so I’m really excited to be a part of such a moving story with this incredible cast and crew.
2. What motivated you to get involved with this project? Have you seen It’s A Wonderful Life’s movie version, and do you have any special feelings or memories related to it?
What motivated me to get involved in this project was honestly my eagerness to just find work. I graduated with my BFA in May, so audition season had just begun. I was auditioning for anything and everything that I could find. Believe it or not, I had not heard of It’s A Wonderful Life until I found NCP’s casting call. I read the sides and something about George’s story really resonated with me. I had butterflies in my stomach after reading the play. I thought, “Aw fuck, I really like this. I might not get it.”
3. How do you feel about your character/s, and about stepping into their shoes when the original movie was so iconic?
It’s hard to sort of condense George into a few brief sentences. His arc showcases so many facets that I feel mirror who we all are. His young-spirited ambition in the beginning, the growing pains of new responsibilities, and life’s inevitable wear and tear that challenges him to great lengths. Because I hadn’t seen the movie, I wasn’t totally aware of how iconic George Bailey was. In a way, I’m thankful I didn’t have this preconceived idea of how this character should be played or what exactly the movie was tapping into. Being able to find it organically with a cast and crew that are equally committed to doing the same is incredibly beneficial.
4. Do you have a specific creative process that you go through as an actor approaching a new script? If so, what does that generally look like?
As far as my process goes, which I think may be a bit arbitrary at times, I typically start in-body. I like to get a feel of the script, who I’m working with, the sort of space I can put myself in to be most available for the people around me. Once I find those beginning discoveries, the things that can be seeds for future progress, I dive a bit more into the text. Other than that, I try to pay as much attention as I can to the other creatives in the room. A collaborative process is my favorite process. I find that if I can keep the focus off myself and be receptive to what’s around me, the fun in the work really comes through.
5. How have you found the experience of rehearsing and of working with this cast and creative team?
I think we really lucked out with the group of people that are a part of this show. It’s really comforting to walk into the dressing room and be around people who share a palpable amount of love for this process. I am very new to the South Florida theater scene and for this production to be one of my first experiences right out of school makes me feel very fortunate. It’s quite often where I find myself driving home after one of our shows, with my wife on the phone, getting teary-eyed as I tell her how amazing this process has been.
6. What effect do you hope that this play will have on audiences?
I hope the audience can walk away feeling uplifted. I hope they feel a sense of gratitude for life and all of its peaks and valleys. Last Sunday, during our post-show talk back with the audience, someone said that this show for them was a gift. A Christmas gift. I thought that was really sweet.
7. Are there any other thoughts you want to share about It’s A Wonderful Life or anything else?
NCP has done something really special with the group of people, both cast and crew, that they’ve brought together to tell this classic story. This process has done a lot for me in respect to not only my craft but my life. When all is said and done, I hope the audience can walk away feeling lighter, refreshed, and joyous to have been a part of this truly special ensemble of creatives.
Hopefully, the passion of the performers also speaks for itself, but the show has also been recommended by a few prominent area critics if you don’t want to take their or my admittedly biased word for it!
You can also get a few more sneak peeks into the production and insight into the thoughts of the cast by exploring all the glorious content up on New City Players’ Facebook and Instagram pages. Meanwhile, if you haven’t already checked out the show, hopefully you can grab a ticket for one of our remaining performances, and please feel free to help us spread the word about it if you’ve already been by. Finally, I hope that yours is shaping up to be a very merry Christmas!
It’s A Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play
by Joe Landry
Directed by Timothy Mark Davis
This beloved American holiday classic comes to captivating life as a live 1940s radio broadcast. With the help of an ensemble that brings a few dozen characters to the stage and create live sound effects throughout, the story of idealistic George Bailey unfolds as he considers ending his life one fateful Christmas Eve.
WHEN
December 1-18, 2022
WHERE
Island City Stage
TICKET PRICE
$20-35