A holiday story about hope, faith and forgiveness will be performed as a radio play in Port Moody this month — on the heels of the civic election.
The Ioco Players will "broadcast" an adaptation of It’s a Wonderful Life, a classic tale made famous with the 1946 film by Frank Capra.
It will be the third presentation by the Ioco Players, which in February produced Love Letters by A.R. Gurney at the Port Moody Legion, as well as the original musical revue Stages: Sondheim & Schwartz at the Inlet Theatre in August.
For the radio version of It’s a Wonderful Life, to be held Oct. 27 to 29, artistic director Mike Arseneault decided to highlight a new venue in Port Moody that caters to shows: the Inlet United Church at The Springs (2315 Spring St.).
Arseneault said the facility "is designed with all the technology in mind with sound, lighting and projection" to produce a multi-media event.
For the Ioco Players show, black-and-white stills from the movie will rotate on a large screen while the volunteer actors are on the stage.
"It's a great production for a church," he said, "because the play speaks of faith and community, and bringing everyone together to celebrate."
He added, "It brings a strong message about how we need to support each other and lift each other up in some of our darkest times."
Co-directed by Arseneault and Jenny Norris, the traditional radio play includes (as cast and crew) Arseneault as the star George Bailey, Ken Cross, Natasha Fairweather, Judy Flaten, Wilson Fowlie, Jennifer Hague, Garth Hodgson, JoLynn Hunter, Dan Jabour, Meghan Lahti, Mark LeBourdais, Jesse Peachment and Steph Wood.
Fowlie is also the choral director while Hodgson provided original music for the scene transitions. And the costumed actors will create the sound effects — just like in the audio dramas done in the 1930s and 40s over the wireless radio.
Arseneault said he's pleased with the direction of his fledgling troupe as it makes its way in the City of the Arts; about 50 actors from around the Lower Mainland tried out for a role in It’s a Wonderful Life after hearing the audition call.
"What I'm learning is that there aren’t a lot of these kinds of opportunities locally. A lot of actors are not getting cast, and they want to work."
In the future, the Ioco Players hopes to mount one large show a year at the Inlet Theatre, plus two smaller events with reduced ticket prices.
Meanwhile, Arseneault has also begun a Facebook page called "Port Moody Starts with Arts," aimed to promote the Tri-Cities’ arts scene.
Tickets are $25 per person to one of the four performances of It’s a Wonderful Life between Oct. 27 and 29.
For more information, you can visit the play's EventBrite page.
