TheatreSquared Reimagines IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE

Seven actors will portray 64 characters and 45 scenes in TheatreSquared's new stage adaptation of Frank Capra's classic film It's a Wonderful Life, starting December 8 in Fayetteville. T2 Artistic Director Robert Ford and a professional cast reimagine the love story of George Bailey and Mary Hatch, the crisis that nearly tears them apart on Christmas Eve, and their unexpected redemption. Performances will be held in the intimate Studio Theatre at Walton Arts Center's Nadine Baum Studios from December 8 through New Year's Day, with performances Thursdays at 7:30, Fridays at 7:30, Saturdays at 2:00 and 7:30, and Sundays at 2:00 and 7:00. New Year's Eve and Christmas Eve performances will include free milk and cookies. Tickets range from $22-28 ($10/under 30) and can be purchased by calling the Walton Arts Center Box Office at (479) 443-5600 or by visiting theatre2.org.

"I have to admit, I avoided this movie for 30 years," said Ford. "Maybe I was tired of ‘holiday classics,' maybe I'd gotten cynical. But when I finally watched it again, I was amazed. The story is both crushing and exhilarating. It's brilliant, funny, heartbreaking and beautifully crafted. And it asks a deep and, in these times, surprisingly relevant question: who do we want to be as a people? This is a story that earns the term classic but feels as though it could have been written today."

TheatreSquared's live adaptation of It's a Wonderful Life brings Capra's film to the stage. The story follows George Bailey, who puts his dreams on hold to take over the family business and marry his high school sweetheart-only to see his life's work threatened by the unscrupulous magnate Mr. Potter, who will stop at nothing to take over the Bailey Building and Loan. As George stands drunk on a highway bridge on Christmas Eve, wishing he'd never been born, a mysterious stranger plummets to the waves and sets in motion a sequence of events that is nothing short of miraculous. For 65 years, critics have hailed It's a Wonderful Life as a remarkable tale of redemption and old-fashioned holiday magic, reminding even the cynics among us that there's much to be treasured in life.

The cast for It's a Wonderful Life includes: Coleman Clark, Andrew Dahl, Bryce Kemph (T2 credits: Moonlight and Magnolias, Jacob Marley's Christmas Carol), Kathy Logelin (Mauritius), Kris Stoker (The 39 Steps, My Father's War), Sabrina Veroczi (The 39 Steps) and Sarah Behrend-Wilcox. The creative team includes: Robert Ford (director), Anna Lucia Dede-Panken (stage manager), Josh Tillotson (production head), Sarah Ross (scenic designer), Diana Kaiser (lighting designer), Ren LaDassor (costume design), Mike Tutaj (sound design) and Justin Ashley (props design).

It's a Wonderful Life is the second production of TheatreSquared Season 6, which launched in September with the hit comedy Boeing-Boeing and continues with Tigers Be Still (Feb. 9-March 4) and The Fall of the House (April 12-May 6). Three-play season packages for the remaining productions are available starting at $63 and can be reserved by visiting theatre2.org or calling the Walton Arts Center Box Office at (479) 443-5600. Subscription benefits include a 15 percent discount off single ticket prices, prime reserved seating, free unlimited exchanges, and pre-show dining discounts of up to 30 percent at T2 Partner Restaurants.

Tickets for It's a Wonderful Life are on sale now at the Walton Arts Center Box Office, and can be reserved by calling (479) 443-5600 or visiting theatre2.org. Performances are scheduled December 8-New Years Day, Thursday through Sunday of each week. New Years Eve and Christmas Eve performances will include complimentary milk and cookies. There is a special additional family matinee scheduled on December 21 at 2pm, and no performance on December 25.

TheatreSquared is Northwest Arkansas's regional theatre, dedicated to creating exceptional theatrical works and innovative educational programs. The theatre is the recipient of the 2011 National Theatre Company Grant from the American Theatre Wing, founder of the Tony Awards, recognizing the nation's ten most promising emerging professional theatres. For further information, contact TheatreSquared at 479.445.6333 or visit the Theatre's website at theatre2.org.

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