It’s a Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play, the beloved holiday story is reimagined as a live 1940s radio broadcast. An ensemble of actors brings the residents of Bedford Falls to life as George Bailey, a man who has given up his dreams for the sake of others, finds himself facing his darkest hour on Christmas Eve. With the help of his guardian angel, Clarence, George discovers what the world would have been like without him—and just how many lives one person can touch.

 

Auditions will be held Tuesday, October 13 and Wednesday, October 14, 2026, from 6:30 pm to 8:30 pm at The Strand Theater, 136 Franklin Street, Watertown, NY. Auditions are open and no appointment is necessary.

 

Performances will be Thursday, December 10 through Sunday, December 13, 2026, at The Strand Theater, 136 Franklin Street, Watertown.

 

Casting Needs

Four (4) male roles and three (3) female roles.

Age Range: 15 years of age and older. Younger auditioners should have a mature-sounding voice appropriate for adult roles.

 

Auditions will consist of cold readings from the script. Auditioners should be prepared to read several different characters and demonstrate a variety of character voices.

 

For a look at how actors and sound-effects artists brought radio dramas to life during the golden age of radio, watch the 1938 public-domain short film Back of the Mike: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hZ43UC5tIOY

 

A perusal copy of the script is available at Flower Memorial Library for those wishing to familiarize themselves with the play before auditions.