For their winter presentation, Clovis North Educational Center’s Theatre Arts department is performing It’s a Wonderful Life, based on the movie of the same name. The show runs from Dec. 2-11, with each performance beginning at 7:30 p.m.

The play follows the life of George Bailey (Kyle Weber) from 1919 to 1944 and chronicles his struggle to achieve happiness and satisfaction.

Due to his large heart, every opportunity he has to pursue personal happiness is taken from him. He has to give up his dream of going to college, traveling the world and becoming rich and famous to help out his friends and family in the town.

To realize that his life has meaning, he needs the help of a guardian angel, Clarence (Nick Gardner). In the words of Clarence, “No man is a failure who has friends.”

After managing to get a ticket to the sold-out Dec. 3 showing, I walked into the theater to find a unique stage. The stage floor was on the same level as the first row of chairs, and each row following was higher than the one before it. It was like movie theater seating, but for a play. This aspect made me feel like a part of the story.

I was surprised and impressed by the elaborate set. I felt like I was in a town, not watching a town. There were two major buildings, which were decorated as if they were from the ’30s, and a central walk area in between them. This gave actors an opportunity to set up for the next scene while there was still action on stage.

Costumes were also very authentic. The characters were all dressed in clothes that fit the time period, and I could not see any flaws with the style. The only thing that I did not particularly like about the costumes was the choice for the angels: They looked like businessmen and women from the ’20s.

As I had read that junior high students would participate in the show, I was worried that their acting would not be up to par. However, I was wrong. The acting was brilliant. The younger children never missed a line, and I felt as though they had truly developed the roles as their own.

Since the story is well-known, I thought that I would end up comparing the performance to the movie, and that the play would not meet its standards. However, Clovis North drama students really recreated the story and made it their own. They added their own personalities to the characters. It was an experience entirely different from the movie.

In particular, two actors stood out during the performance: Gardner as Clarence and Weber as George Bailey. Gardner used parts of Clarence from the movie version, but recreated a lot of the character on his own. He brought a comic relief to the play and made everyone laugh. Weber also used the movie as a reference for his character. His expressions and tone kept the audience entertained.

Senior Jaclyn Kelly, former FC student, also had a role in the play: the part of Ruth Dakin. Her performance was genuine, realistic and a joy to watch.

While the play was well-done overall, there were a few things that could have been improved. Though the stage was unique, there were a few parts that I could not see because the characters were facing away from the audience. This could not have been helped, but it caused me to feel like I was missing out on a part of the story.

In addition, some of the characters relied too heavily on the movie for inspiration. They did not create their own character, but instead emulated the character from the movie. I would have liked to see some more originality in the performance.

This play definitely fit the Christmas season; its story helped to bring the holiday season to life. I am glad that I had this opportunity to see students present a delightful performance of It’s a Wonderful Life.

The Clovis North Theatre Arts department will perform It’s a Wonderful Life every night from Dec. 8-11 at 7:30 p.m. in the Dan Pessano Theatre. Admission is $8 for students and $10 for adults. Tickets are available online and at the box office.

The department’s next production is Hello, Dolly!, which will be performed on March 24-26, 31, April 1 and 2 in the Mercedes Edwards Theatre at 7:30 p.m.

For more drama reviews, read the Nov. 8 article, ‘Into the Woods’ underscores acting talent.

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