It's a Wonderful Life - Radio Show

ANTHONY E. PALERMO (PLAYWRIGHT) is a radio-dramatist, performer, and educator based in Los Angeles. He has done over 2500 shows—heard on NPR and satellite radio, as well as audiobooks and radio-on-stage shows with L.A. Theater Works, California Artists Radio Theater, theater troupes, and on national tours. His holiday-themed plays, A Christmas Carol, It's A Wonderful Life!, Auntie Scrooge - a BACKWARDS Christmas Carol, and The Headless Horseman of Sleepy Hollow have seen hundreds of productions around the world since 1996. His sound effects work on Yuri Rasovsky’s Sherlock Holmes Theater contributed to its winning an Audie Award--the Oscar of audiobooks. He directed the 60th anniversary production of Norman Corwin’s On a Note of Triumph—for which he also re-created Bernard Herrmann’s orchestral score. He provided live sound effects for shows such as Eric Idle's What About Dick? [currently on Netflix as a radio-on-stage film], CART's Together Tonight, Good House for a Killing, LATW's Hamlet, A Doll House and Copenhagen, as well as performing 65 solo shows at the California State Fair. His Sonic Storytelling Studio at San Francisco's Exploratorium is a permanent exhibit that has seen thousands of visitors since 2006. His Sparx Sound Effects Extravaganza assembly programs and workshops are popular with schools and colleges across California, the U.S. and the world. He also hosts the RuyaSonic radio drama website, offering info on writing, directing, scoring, engineering, and sound effects.

Cast

Creative Team

Meet the Company

Elena Jones

Zuzu, Mrs Hatch, Annie, Mrs. Davis, and Violet Bick

This Elena Jones’s first time acting in a radio theatre play. She, a Jjc student, was thrilled and very grateful to participate when she first found out that she was cast. It’s a Wonderful Life is a movie quite dear to her. She hopes that listeners would enjoy the play and would take something out of it. She would like to thank the audience for supporting, her Dad for driving her, her friends for helping her practice, MTG for casting her, and most importantly God for giving her this opportunity. She would also like to thank Jesus Christ; she believes that she would not be here if it weren’t for Jesus Christ.

Jennifer Wallenberg

Ma Bailey, Cousin Tilly, Janie Bailey, Bank Teller, Noisy , Mrs. Thompson

Jennifer is very excited to join the cast and crew for It’s a Wonderful Life. Acting has been a new experience and is her second perform as at the Morris Theater Guild. It goes to show you CAN teach old dogs new tricks. Here’s to a great show & please enjoy!

Joseph Ennenbach

George Bailey

In his five-decade theatrical career Joseph Ennenbach has appeared on numerous stages, but two of this favorite roles were at Morris Theater Guild: the insane genius Robert In the drama "Proof" (2013) and the irascible country club manager Mr. Bingham in the farce "The Fox on the Fairway" (2015). He has also directed plays and musicals ( "California Suite", ""I Do! I Do", "Steel Magnolias", "A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum", "Deathtrap", "They're Playing Our Song" and "Arsenic and Old Lace", to name a few) including three at MTG: "Rumors" (2015) "The Dinner Party" (2019) and "I Ought to be in Pictures" (2021). Joe is a member of the MTG board of directors, one of three theater boards on which he currently serves. Earlier this year he was presented the Illinois Theatre Association's Award of Excellence for Community Theatre. The retired attorney resides in Peru with his wife, Maryann, who has been unstinting in her support for his theatrical avocation.

Morgan Caracci

Mary Bailey

This is Morgan’s second production with The Morris Theatre. In her free time, Morgan likes to drink Chinese teas and all kinds of holistic herbs in the off chance she can live forever. Currently, its working..

William Jones

Announcer, Uncle Billy, Night Watchman

William Jones is new to Morris Theatre Guild. The last time he was on stage was 59 years ago during that time he was a missionary and humanitarian in 7 different countries mainly far east Asia! William also served two tours of duty during the Vietnam War. William has been a substitute teacher and now is a caregiver.

Jim Welch

Mr Potter, Eddie, Officer Bert

Jim Welch is thrilled once again to be performing on the MTG stage. Jim's last appearance was as Paul Burnside in Star On The Door. You may have seen Jim in other productions such as, Paul Sheldon in the MTG's presentation of Misery. Also, “The Odd Couple”, “The Alto's”, “Over the River and Through the Woods” and "Squabbles." He also portrayed Herr Schultz in The Just Passing By Theatre Companies production of “Cabaret”. Jim has directed such stage hits for the MTG such as, “Lost In Yonkers” “Wait Until Dark”, “Steel Magnolias” and “Bill W & Dr Bob”. Jim will be directing a reboot of "Seeing Stars In Dixie," this winter. Jim is employed with Heniff Transportation as a hazmat tanker driver and loves spending time with his family.  Jim is a diehard White Sox fan and enjoys boating, fishing, and swimming, and relaxing at his cottage on Delavan Lake Wisconsin. and camping at The Grundy Co Rod & Gun Club. Jim has been a board member for the Morris Theatre Guild for 37 years, and is currently serving as Vice President. He is looking forward to many years ahead with the MTG

Judy Miller

Superintendent, Carter

Dane Ferrara

Sam Wainwright, Harry Bailey, Nick, Sheriff

Cole Johnson

Martini, Charlie

William Gillespie

Clarence

Colleen Stroup

Young George/Pop Bailey/Eustace/Randy/Petey Bailey/Mr. Welch

Colleen Stroup is 20 years old and excited to be returning to the Morris Theatre Guild stage. They first began acting in MTG's 2012 production of Miracle Worker, and has since appeared in several of productions. Most recently, Colleen played the role of Uzo in Godspell. In their free time, they enjoy reading, art, and spending time with friends and family.

John Marsaglia

Sound Effects Artist

John is extremely excited to be apart of his very first Morris Theater Guild production. At the urging of his family and friends, John decided to reach out to the guild and offer volunteer assistance and was soon thrown into the fire by accepting special effects artist duties, a job that requires him to be on stage. John was surprised by this news. Hailing from Coal City, John has been involved in the performing arts from grade school all the way through college in many capacities including: stage plays, musicals, show choir, speech team, sketch comedy and dance. After graduating from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, John moved to southern California where he obtained his MFA in film and television producing from the prestigious Dodge College of Film and Media Arts at Chapman University. Since then John has gone on to produce and direct many award winning projects ranging from music videos for Grammy winning artists, feature and short films, and online branded content. John is grateful for the opportunity to work with such a talented and tight-knit cast and crew and hopes you enjoy the show.

Dane Ferrara

Sam Wainwright, Nick, Sheriff, Harry Bailey

Dane Ferrara is a younger member in the theatre, he has played as Nick in Godspell, and had played Johnny the Bartender and Jarvis the Butler in his previous. He is a Sophomore in Seneca High School, he is a participant in its Speech and Theater Program. Dane does the live sound effects and plays Sam Wainwright, Nick the Bartender, Georges brother Harry, and the Sheriff of Bedford Falls.

Christine Johnson

Director

Brian Pross

Technical Manager

Matthew Johnson

House Manager

Sarah Crisman

Scenic Artist / Decorator

UPCOMING SEASON

Friday, January 24, 2025 - Sunday, February 2, 2025

"Once upon a time, there was a little ogre named Shrek...." And thus begins the tale of an unlikely hero who finds himself on a life-changing journey alongside a wisecracking Donkey and a feisty princess who resists her rescue. Throw in a short-tempered bad guy, a cookie with an attitude and over a dozen other fairy tale misfits, and you've got the kind of mess that calls for a real hero. Luckily, there's one on hand... and his name is Shrek.

March 7-16, 2025

And Then They Came for Me is a unique theatrical experience: a multimedia play that combines videotaped interviews with Holocaust survivors Ed Silverberg and Eva Schloss with live actors recreating scenes from their lives during World War II. Ed was Anne Frank's first boyfriend, and she wrote about him in the beginning of her now-famous diary. Eva Schloss was the same age as Anne Frank and lived in the same apartment building in Amsterdam. Her family went into hiding the same day as the Frank family. And like the Frank family, they were betrayed. On Eva's 15th birthday, her family was arrested by the Nazis and sent to concentration camps. Eva and her mother survived, and after the war her mother married Otto Frank (Anne's father). Part oral history, part dramatic action, part direct address, part remembrance, the ensemble-driven And Then They Came for Me breaks new ground and has been acclaimed by audiences and critics in world-wide productions. This production is like a historic newsreel brought to life on the stage.

May 9-18, 2025

The Drowning Girls, a ghost story about three British women who, all murdered by the same man in the early years of the last century, were considered–and considered themselves– insubstantial. Insubstantial, that is, until their murderer charmed them into marriage, thereby making them, as one of the trios says, “a useful member of society.”

July 18-27, 2025

At an abandoned motel on a desolate American road, a mother meets with a cult deprogrammer, believing she will be reunited with her runaway daughter. What happens instead – in this smart, harrowing, edge-of-your-seat thriller – is something that will shock her to her core. What will a mother do to get her daughter back? Whatever it takes.

Auditions

And They Came for Me:

Jan 5th & 6th, 2025, from 6:30-8pm;

5 Males and 4 Females

Show Dates: 3/7/2025 – 3/16/2025

Characters: Young Ed, Ed’s Mother, Ed’s Father, Hitler Youth, Young Eva, Heinz, Mutti, Pappi, Anne 

Synopsis

And Then They Came for Me is a unique theatrical experience: a multimedia play that combines videotaped interviews with Holocaust survivors Ed Silverberg and Eva Schloss with live actors recreating scenes from their lives during World War II. Ed was Anne Frank’s first boyfriend, and she wrote about him in the beginning of her now-famous diary. Eva Schloss was the same age as Anne Frank and lived in the same apartment building in Amsterdam. Her family went into hiding the same day as the Frank family. And like the Frank family, they were betrayed. On Eva’s 15th birthday, her family was arrested by the Nazis and sent to concentration camps. Eva and her mother survived, and after the war her mother married Otto Frank (Anne’s father). Part oral history, part dramatic action, part direct address, part remembrance, the ensemble-driven And Then They Came for Me breaks new ground and has been acclaimed by audiences and critics in world-wide productions. This production is like a historic newsreel brought to life on the stage.

The Drowning Girls:

Feb 23rd 1 to 4  & Feb 24 from 6-8pm;

3 Females

Characters: Bessie, Alice and Margaret

Show Dates: 5/9/2025-5/18/2025

Synopsis

The Drowning Girls, a ghost story about three British women who, all murdered by the same man in the early years of the last century, were considered–and considered themselves– insubstantial. Insubstantial, that is, until their murderer charmed them into marriage, thereby making them, as one of the trios says, “a useful member of society

The directors will consider all ages for the roles to be filled but will also be looking for the appropriate demographic balance in casting to retain integrity and believability.

Guestbook