(BASKING RIDGE, NJ) -- American Theater Group (ATG) presents Joe Landry's It's A Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play running December 5-7, 2025 at the Sieminski Theater in Basking Ridge and December 12-21, 2025 at the DMK Black Box Theater in Union.
Based on the classic film, the 90-minute adaptation is performed as a 1940s live radio broadcast in front of a studio audience. Five versatile actors perform the dozens of characters in the radio drama and a live foley artist produces the necessary sound effects and musical jingles.
Leading the cast will be Aaron McDaniel (The Woodsman/New World Stages) as George Bailey, Erica Knight (Charley's Aunt/Shakespeare Theatre of NJ) as Mary Hatch, Michael Daly (Windy City/Walnut St. Theater) as Mr. Potter, Joelle Zazz (The Lightning Thief: The Musical/New World Stages) as Violet, and Tim Nicolai (The Glass Menagerie, Broadway) as Clarence Oddbody. Foley artist Hannah Mount (It’s A Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play/Mile Square Theatre) will be responsible for the sound effects, musical jingles and piano accompaniment.
Performance dates are Friday, December 5 at 7:30pm; Saturday, December 6 at 2:30pm & 7:30pm; and Sunday, December 7 at 2:30pm at the Sieminski Theater (8000 Fellowship Road) in Basking Ridge, NJ. The production then moves to the DMK Black Box Theater at the new Union Arts Center (1980 Morris Avenue) in Union, NJ with performances on Friday, December 12 at 7:00pm; Saturday, December 13 at 7:00pm; Sunday, December 14 at 2:00pm; Friday, December 19 at 7:00pm; Saturday, December 20 at 7:00pm; and Sunday, December 21 at 2:00pm.
Tickets range from $50 to $55, with student and group rates available, and can be purchased at: americantheatergroup.org.
“On the heels of our successful production of Our Town, we are thrilled to bring another American classic to life,” noted ATG Producing Artistic Director Jim Vagias. “This magical play is a wonderful way of ushering in the holiday season with the entire family. Older folks will fondly remember the radio dramas they grew up with and younger folks will enjoy a glimpse into the past.”
The production will be led by Director Joseph Discher, who has worked off-Broadway and with regional theatres across the country. The New York Times has called his work “devastatingly effective,” “enchanting,” and “beautiful.” His Off-Broadway credits include: Butler (NYC premiere at 59E59) and world premieres of The Violin (59E59) and Vilna (St. Clement’s Theatre). He is the former Associate Artistic Director of Shakespeare Theatre of NJ. Selected credits include The Diary of Anne Frank, To Kill a Mockingbird, Our Town, Henry IV: Part One, The Tempest, Amadeus, Of Mice and Men, The Grapes of Wrath, Twelfth Night, Romeo and Juliet and Wittenberg. He is the Artistic Director and co-founder of Knock At The Gate, which creates immersive audio experiences of Shakespeare’s work. Knock At The Gate productions: The Tempest: A Surround Sound Odyssey Sound Odyssey, Caesar: A Surround Sound Experiment and Macbeth: A Surround Sound Experiment, which was featured on Good Day New York and NPR, and in American Theatre Magazine.
Joining Discher will be Cat Murphy (Production Manager), Griffin O’Connor (Stage Manager), Travis Wright (Sound Design), Isabella Rossi (Costume Design) and Ben Merrick (Technical Director).
It’s a Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play is presented through arrangement with Dramatists Play Service.
American Theater Group (ATG), founded in 2012, produces new and classic works primarily by American playwrights with an emphasis on the development of new works and the rediscovery of undeservedly neglected older ones. It also provides quality arts-in-education initiatives, including its New Works/New Voices playwriting program for high school students and its PlayLab program for BIPOC and queer playwrights.
