A Post-Election Look at It's a Wonderful Life at Luna Stage

Theater, at its best, gives audiences a forum in which to work through the most pressing issues of their times. Rehearsals for Luna's upcoming show, This Wonderful Life, a solo adaptation of the iconic holiday film,
began on November 7th, one day before the election. With performances starting this week, we caught up with Artistic Director Cheryl Katz to talk about how the production will resonate in the aftermath of the election.

Q. You chose this show last winter, back before we had any idea what the country would feel like today. Why did you want to produce this show then?

Cheryl: This piece, a one-actor rendition of the film It's a Wonderful Life, had been on my radar for a long time. I thought it was a fine piece, clever and fun, but I never felt really compelled to produce it.

Then about a year ago, Erica Bradshaw, one of our teaching artists, did her one-woman show in our Lab at Luna. I was impressed by Erica's ability to completely inhabit a number of characters, but even more so, I
was taken by the theme of the piece: her journey towards accepting and embracing the fact that she was not the white male superhero she thought she could be growing up.

So when it came time to build our current season, This Wonderful Life was on the short list once again. But this time, all I could picture was Erica as everyman "superman" George Bailey, and I started to get excited.
Erica is an openly gay African-American woman, and I knew that just by casting her in the role of every character in Bedford Falls, it would add some subversive fun to this heartwarming piece.

This was how it all felt through November 7th. Things shifted on November 8th, and suddenly our casting choice had far more resonance. The conversations in rehearsal went from questions like what hat should be worn for this character to discussions of how AfricanAmerican artists can possibly work to inhabit this story of white small town America when the perceived message from white small town America is that people of color are not welcome in this country.

Q. Given where we are as a nation, how do you hope this piece will resonate for audiences now?

Cheryl: I can only tell you how the film resonated for me when I went back to watch it after many years. First, I was acutely aware of how the immigrants and minorities (one Italian family, one black domestic) are portrayed in the film. I realize this is an old film and that one could say this about any Hollywood movie of the era. But this film is almost sacred. Watching this film is as much a part of many people's holiday tradition as going to church. It made me think about all the things we hold up as icons of "American" culture and tradition without thinking about how exclusionary they might be to so many Americans. Now in all honesty, I might not have found myself fixated on this had I not been in our rehearsal room on November 9th. But this is why I do this work --- to have MY world illuminated, too.

Aside from racial and gender politics, the film simply could not be more relevant at this exact moment in time. This is a story of generosity triumphing over selfishness. The lesson of the film is that one's value and worth is not determined by one's bank account but by the positive impact one's life has on others.

It struck me as so ironic that we all cry tears of joy for George, we teach our children to be like George --- and yet, we do not elect officials and leaders that share his virtues.

Q: So what should we expect coming to see the show?

Cheryl: I think there's something for everyone in this timeless but timely story, and that's what we're trying to reflect in this production. Those looking to have their spirits lifted will get a healthy dose of holiday cheer. The show is funny and heartwarming and celebrates the best of the human spirit. If you love the movie, you'll love watching Erica recreate it in this tour-de-force performance.

Those needing to converse about where we stand now and what action to take will have an outlet for those feelings as well. We plan to have pre- and post-show talkbacks around every performance so people can
discuss how this story is resonating differently for them this year. Our CONTEXT ROOM, an interactive space that audience members can visit before or after the show, will also unpack some of the more politically
and socially minded ideas related to the story and to the state of our union.