It's A Wonderful Life
at Poolesville High School

Reviewed on December 1, 2018

Adanna Kwapong
Clarksburg High School
Submitted for publication to Cappies News

It truly is A Wonderful Life at Poolesville High School!

It's A Wonderful Life is a play that follows the life of George Bailey, a man who, on Christmas Eve, considers ending his own life. The show opens with George getting ready to jump from a bridge when suddenly a guardian angel named
Clarence appears and shows George flashbacks from his life and what the world would be like without him in it.

George Bailey, played by John Foster, has a very dynamic character arc, beautifully portrayed by Foster. Throughout the show, George is supposed to go through many emotional transformations, from wanting to end his own life to feeling loved and appreciated by his whole town and his family. Foster represented these transformations very realistically, evoking emotion from many of the audience members as he himself felt the deep emotions of the moments throughout the storyline.

A very memorable aspect of the show for me was that there was exceptional chemistry between of all of the cast members, including that of George and Uncle Billy (Aidan Auel) and George and Mr. Potter (Jacob Pelzman). Auel and Pelzman maintained strong physicality and characterization throughout the entirety of the show, both with George, as well as without him.

The interaction between George and Mary (Calley Mullin), specifically, was truly memorable and effective. Their relationship evolved from being one between two young and awkward teenagers, to being one between a man and a woman taking care of a home and children, and even a whole town. Mullin and Foster illustrated this progression very genuinely, making the entire show much more believable.

Other standout performances were delivered by Mr. Martini (Liam McCue), who made me laugh when he walked on stage, Violet (Maria Guo), who gave a solid performance and served her purpose very well, and Miss Carter (Cathryn Treleven), who had very good diction and kept me focused and within the realm of the show.

I also immensely enjoyed the technical features of the show. There were minute details and props that made the setting and time period of the show extremely evident, such as the bright lamppost, the LED fire, and the use of old telephones. I also found the lighting to be quite effective, with all the different hues of purple, red, and blue.

The scene that warmed my heart the most was the Christmas scene, partly because I love Christmas, partly because it was a happy ending, but I think mostly because it was so authentic. The Bailey kids in the scene were doing things that kids do during the Christmas season; rearranging ornaments on the tree, and especially shaking presents, trying to guess what their parents (or Santa) got for them.

Overall, Poolesville High School presented a strong performance of a timeless Christmas classic, warming the hearts of their entire audience.

Paige Hollander
Woodrow Wilson High School
Submitted for publication to Cappies News 2

"Strange isn't it? Each man's life touches so many others". This is the heartwarming message behind The Midnight Players of Poolesville High School's rendition of It's A Wonderful Life. Through the good times and bad, It's A Wonderful Life evokes a powerful feeling of community and togetherness despite the hardships of daily life in the small town of Bedford Falls. The casts unity on and off stage was truly in the Christmas spirit.

Based on the 1946 movie directed by Frank Capra and starring James Stewart, It's A Wonderful Life tells the story of a young man, George Bailey, who considers committing suicide on Christmas Eve. The divine intervention of a second-class angel who is committed to convincing George his life is meaningful and the people of Bedford Falls need him, takes him on a tour of his past and shows him what the world would be like without him in it.

The townspeople of Bedford Falls formed a compelling ensemble complete with individual personas that formed distinct stories in the background, bringing the audience into the play, absorbing them in the lives and struggles of the characters. Their vibrancy and devotion to the production showed as they sang Christmas carols and interacted with George. This play in many ways revolves around its ensemble since every action George makes is to help the community and his neighbors. The ensemble held the weight of the show with impressive maturity and talent.

Playing the sorrowful George Bailey was John Foster who embraced the part, finding the deeper meaning in the Christmas classic, going above and beyond to understand his character. His prayer to God to help him find his way struck the hearts of the audience with unbelievable authenticity and intensity. He spoke clearly and with an evident mastery of his character that was unparalleled. His tremendous physicality and prodigious chemistry with his faithful wife Mary Hatch was undeniable. Taking on the part of Mary Hatch was Calley Mullin, her sweet disposition and charm added light and energy to the production. She never failed to underpin every one of George's accomplishments. Through facial expression and amazing diction, her part was unwaveringly reliable, fulfilling every nuance of a supporting part.

The snowy backdrop of a Bedford Falls street matched with countless detailed and intricate moving set pieces seamlessly carried the audience from one scene to the next. Sound cues never missed a beat and each actor could be heard clearly and understood fully thanks to Poolesville High Schools Sound Team, Riley Georgius, Julian Cornejo, and Marvin Kipchumba, and crew. Time period-appropriate props (Catheryn Treleven, March Kaplan, and Amy Kinzie) added to the authenticity of the production. The scenic backdrop was truly from another time and place, visually appealing from every seat.

The cast of Poolesville High School's It's A Wonderful Life brought to life a Christmas classic brimming with love, forgiveness, and charity. It was a joyous show that reminded the audience to be thankful for every person in their own life.

Lily Perez
Woodrow Wilson High School
Submitted for publication to Patch.com

For those not yet in the holiday spirit, one need look no further than Poolesville High School's heartwarming production of "It's a Wonderful Life" to remember the joy which the season brings. The iconic story of despair being overcome by hope and cheer, popularized in the 1946 film directed by Frank Capra, was realized with charm and sincerity by the Poolesville cast and crew, who effectively brought to life one of the most beloved films in American cinema.

John Foster anchored the production as George Bailey, a man so overwhelmed by the disappointments of small-town life that he contemplates suicide on Christmas Eve. In his poignant performance, Foster effectively conveyed the dichotomy of hopelessness and contentment which George experiences throughout the play. After being visited by Clarence (Anthony Fuster), his witty guardian angel, Foster reenacted the sacrifices which George made for the good of his community, crafting compelling relationships with those he came into contact with in his ultimately wonderful life. In particular, the relationship between Foster's George and his wife Mary (Calley Mullin), was touching and sincere, with the two aptly conveying the development of their relationship from young sweethearts to a mature married couple. Uncle Billy (Aidan Auel) and the memorable Mr. Martini (Liam McCue) were among those whom George supported in their plight against economic depression, contributing to Foster's creation of a sympathetic central character.

Wheelchair-bound as Henry F. Potter, Jacob Pelzman used varied inflection and facial expressions to create an intimidating antagonist. Pelzman's portrayal of the manipulative slumlord Potter effectively foiled Foster's kindhearted George, emphasizing the tolerance and upstanding nature of the latter as he repeatedly acted in a selfless and caring manner.

The ensemble of "It's a Wonderful Life," styled in period-appropriate make-up and hair by Julia Pavlick, Mandy Mossman, and Raeyna Sharma, was essential to conveying the spirit of George's small town, in which the compassion of its townspeople was not quelled by the challenges of their socioeconomic condition. Each actor had a distinct characterization, and acted with cohesiveness and commitment as they created an image of a community on an austere stage punctuated with authentic props. A multitude of scenic changes were handled effectively by the stage crew, and clear sound offstage and on facilitated the development of the plot, which featured vignettes from throughout George's life.

George Bailey's journey to the brink of desolation and back is one which contains the essential theme of treating others with dignity and respecting their humanity, even in the face of doubt. The committed cast of Poolesville High School's production of "It's a Wonderful Life" was uplifting and charismatic, breathing new life into a classic tale.

Maansi Suvarna
Clarksburg High School
Submitted for publication to Maryland Theater Guide

A story of friendship, love, and Christmas. Frank Capra's It's A Wonderful Life was brought to the stage by Poolesville High School's The Midnight Players. This movie turned play is a story about George Bailey, a caring man who attempts to commit suicide on Christmas Eve, but is stopped by his guardian angel, who shows him how terrible life would be in Bedford Falls if George had never been born. Set during the Great Depression, It's A Wonderful Life tells the story of a Christmas miracle and the power of one person and many friends.

John Foster's portrayal of George Bailey was very well executed. Foster's diction and body movements added a layer of depth and personality to Bailey and his interactions with the cast moved the story and clearly reflected whether the scene was a flashback or in the present. The chemistry between Calley Mullin (Mary Hatch) and John Foster was evident in their acting and helped to create a genuine connection on stage. Jacob Pelzman (Mr. Potter) delivered his lines with good inflection and portrayed the age of his character very well. The townspeople embraced their individual characters and while at times, they were slightly modern, they added depth and personality to the show.

The various technical elements in this show were also solid. The makeup of Mr. Potter was evident from the audience and contributed to the effectiveness of his character. In addition, the props were time-period appropriate and helped to make the scenes more realistic and natural. The use of silhouettes was appropriate for the era, but sometimes, the placement of light was not accurate and took away from the scene. While some of the spotlights were shaky, the lights overall were good and contributed to the mood of the scene. In addition, when George is moving through the town, the use of set pieces and lighting helped to contribute to George's confused and concerned presence, as well as reduced confusion in terms of setting in the town. The sound crew was good and was able to maintain a reasonable volume of the mics and a very clear offstage sound with only a few small hiccups throughout the show. At times, there was a disconnect between the technical aspects and the acting, but overall, they were complementary and enhanced each other.

It's A Wonderful Life was a solid performance by Poolesville High School and conveyed the charm of the story well. The Midnight Players were very committed to their performance delivering the message of the play very well. Overall, this show was very nice and expressed a beautiful message - "no one is a failure who has friends."