You can see why at the Cascade Community Theatre’s production of “It’s A Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play,” written by Joe Landry Dec. 5-7 at Cedarcrest High School. The play is different from the movie, but it’s still 1946, and George is still being watched over by his would be guardian angel, Clarence.

In this version, all of the action takes place in the KCCT radio studio, where announcer Freddie Filmore (Tom Anderson) starts the show with cast introductions. You, the audience, will meet Jake Laurents, who plays George, and is in turn played by CCT regular Davin Henrikson , and his love interest, beauty queen Sally Applewhite, played by Wendy Habek.

Every actor in the play is at least one actor on the radio show. Many of them perform multiple voices, so it might get confusing, but do keep your eyes open, to see what “really” goes on in a radio studio.

Actor and artist Joe Lee Davidson (as Jess Lorraine, the voice of Uncle Billy) is also the sound engineer, or foley artist. Every noise he makes, from a car engine to the crack and splash of breaking ice is somehow true to the period.

Director Chuck Young explains that “I wanted to make sure that everything we used was something that would have been available in 1946.”

The same goes for the costumes, on all the actors as well as on the pre-show players in the lobby. A choir group will sing in the lobby before the show and during intermission, where 1946 style concessions will be sold by costumed volunteers. Just before the show starts, KCCT will begin broadcasting into the lobby the songs of a singing group much like the Andrews Sisters. The commercials aired during the play will also be period. Yes, folks, you’ll get it all.

Going back to this simpler time was always part of the plan for the show, says Young, although the play was selected long before the economic downturn. “The story speaks to the strength of the human spirit and the values of small-town America,” he said. He also wants the story to speak to the audience itself, on a very personal level. “You know the movie ‘A Christmas Story’? That’s my holiday movie,” Young said. Although that story doesn’t have the same message of “It’s a Wonderful Life,” he said, it does make you think of past holidays, “of family and friends, of big meals… It’s that feeling I want people to have when they leave (the show).”

The show is produced by Tracy Paddock-Beam, with technical direction by Steve Borquez, production design by Joe Lee Davidson, and musical supervision by Cy Beam.

CCT asks everyone to bring a non-perishable food item to the show, for donation to food banks associated with Holy Innocents Catholic Church, Hopelink, and Northwest Harvest. Cascade Community Theatre is a program of the Cascade Performing Arts Council in partnership with the Duvall Cultural Commission. For more information call 206-686-0203, or visit www.cascadecommunitytheatre.org.

Tom Anderson as Mr. Potter argues with the board of directors and customers

at George Bailey’s bank, background, from right, Jeremy Robkin, Stuart Lisk, and

Sheila Blackman.       Photo By Carol Ladwig