It’s on the Time magazine list of the best movies ever made, it’s #1 on the American Film Institute’s list of the most inspirational American films, and generally regarded as a holiday classic loved by all. Any way you look at it, Frank Capra’s 1946 film “It’s a Wonderful Life” is a success.The question is, how well does that success translate to a different medium – the stage?

The Guilford community got a chance to answer that question on Nov. 26-28, when Dana Auditorium was host to a live radio play version of the tale. Produced by the North Carolina Stage Company (NCSC) and the Immediate Theatre Project (ITP), the play is set in the studios of a fictional radio station on Dec. 24, 1946.

Entering Dana, you really did feel like you’d stepped back in time to a Christmas Eve taping of a radio play. Festive decorations adorned every set piece – from the two microphones at the front of the stage to the large table, topped with all sorts of noise-making devices, in the middle. There were even announcements over the speakers at 15, 10, and five minutes until the show began, calling the characters to their places.

When the characters traipsed onto the stage and the show began, there were some surprisingly familiar faces shining among the set’s red berries and holly leaves. Four of the five actors in the show were Guilford alumi – Lauren Fortuna ’00, Hans Meyer ’99, Willie Repoley ’00, and Kathryn Temple ’96.

Two of the alumni were not only in the play, but also were the founding forces behind ITP. Meyer and Repoley created ITP in 2004, following years of collaboration on various theatre projects. Not long afterward, Fortuna joined the Asheville- based company’s staff.

“It’s not a coincidence that the entire production staff (of ITP) is alums,” Repoley said. “There’s something about how we learned to think here. It’s about not falling by the wayside. It’s about paying attention to everything, not just the things that seem important on the outside.”

This attentiveness is reflected ITP’s focus on reviving and rediscovering classic American plays by showing how the core of the script is still relevant and exciting. To them, these plays often feature strong messages that are especially powerful in today’s world.

“In that sense, we’re a socially conscious theatre company,” said Repoley. “We don’t do plays that are specifically written as (social commentaries) – we’re interested in a different tactic. Theatre is first and foremost about the art, but the art’s not worth it if it doesn’t have a social element.”

Just as the members of ITP have specific reasons for putting on each play, members of an audience have specific reasons for attending. In this production’s case, the play’s holiday theme seemed to be the main factor for many.

“My mom wants to watch “It’s a Wonderful Life” every Christmas. It’s kind of cliche, but it makes you feel good and gets you in the holiday spirit,” said junior Allison Murray-Nikkel. “Plus, how often do you get to see a live radio play these days?”

“I love Christmas things,” said senior Jordan Spoon, motioning to a man in the audience who bore a startling resemblance to the holiday icon. “I love anything associated with Christmas – including Santa Claus.”

Regardless of their reasons for attending, audiences flock to the production. This is NCSC and ITP’s second year performing the show, largely due to the Asheville community’s positive response to it last year. The interest in the show led the companies to branch out of their hometown and take the production on tour for the first time this year.

It was easy to see why the play did, and does, so well. The actors who played multiple roles did an astonishing job switching between them, and every actor was completely devoted to their performance throughout. The sound effects produced on stage were convincing and extremely entertaining to both hear and watch, and the presence of an “applause” sign made the experience of sitting in the audience all the better. Just as the movie eventually rose to superstardom, the play should become a holiday tradition, beloved in its own right.

I left the theatre cozied up with the same feeling of warmth and contentment the film gives me. Sure, I didn’t watch this version of the tale from my couch with a cup of hot chocolate in my hand, but that didn’t make the experience any less pleasing.

If anything, it made it better. This story wasn’t broadcast from some station far away by people I have no connection to – it was right here in our Guilford community, produced by its very members.

That, I believe, was the best part of all.