Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About The daily Astorian. (Astoria, Or.) 1961-current | View Entire Issue (Dec. 8, 2016)
DECEMBER 8, 2016 // 11 ding George Bailey, played by Ben Ruderman, right, learns that his youngest daughter Zuzu, played by Aeriel Bird, isn’t feeling well, as his wife, Mary, played by Emily Dante, and other children look on. Continued from Pg. 10 Adaptations for radio and theater, in- cluding a musical version, have followed in subsequent decades. James W. Rogers’s version at the Coaster — “a faithful adap- tation of the 1946 classic fi lm,” reads the billing — will probably be enjoyed best by those who’ve loved the fi lm and who will appreciate the play’s many nods to scenes necessarily altered or eliminated for theater. The actors’ challenge, especially for Ben Ruderman who plays George Bailey, is to create fresh characters in a play that reminds its audience of the fi lm whenever it can. To avoid playing Jimmy Stewart playing George Bailey, Ruderman tries to explore, he explains, “an alternate Bedford Falls, an alternate George Bailey.” “‘It’s a Wonderful Life’ is one of my favorite fi lms. I watch it probably fi ve times a year, but I haven’t seen it since I got the part,” he says. “I don’t want to simply im- personate Jimmy Stewart.” If you ask, though, off-stage Ruderman can do a killer Jimmy Stewart imitation. Directed by Astoria’s Sheila Shaffer, the production features a cast of 20 gathered from the length of our coastal community, from Long Beach to Tillamook, including Emily Dante as Mary Hatch-Bailey, Slab Slabinsky as Angel Second Class Clarence Odbody, David Sweeney as Uncle Billy and Donald Conner as Henry Potter. “It’s a Wonderful Life” opened in No- vember and will continue to run at 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday, Dec. 9 and 10; 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday, Dec. 16 and 17; 3 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 18, then 7:30 p.m. Thurs- day and Friday, Dec. 22 and 23. . Contact the Coaster Theatre box offi ce online or at 503-436-1242 for tickets. Angel Second Class Clarence Odbody, played by Slab Slabins- ki, left, works to show George Bailey, played by Ben Ruderman, that he has lived a wonderful life. Rich businessman Henry Potter, played by Donald Conner, left, would take over Bedford Falls if it wasn’t for the hard work of George Bailey, played by Ben Ruderman, right, and his Building and Loan business.
