Raw Emotion Opens Up Hearts — IT’S A WONDERFUL LIFE: A LIVE RADIO PLAY at MVT

by Guest Contributor
Tracy Hanayo Okubo

This review begins with a more personal perspective. If you care to skip over the personal information and get straight to the portion pertaining to the actual play, please begin at the fourth paragraph.

2011, namely the second half of 2011, has been a particularly rough year for me. Things began to really go downhill when I didn’t get cast in a show that I really wanted to do, not because it was a super standout show like Avenue Q, but rather because it held special meaning to me and was an opportunity for me to work with an entire cast of people that I had really wanted to work with—including my father. In May I found myself, against my better judgment, opening up to the possibility of a meaningful relationship.The way I felt about this person is a way that I haven’t felt about someone in years and I was excited to the point that this jaded and guarded pessimist became a giddy little school girl. But it turns out that I got played, finding out via a friend’s relationship status change on Facebook that she was now “in a relationship” with said guy.

My focus returned to work, and my goal of returning to the east coast, where I have always felt most at home. In 2001 I had moved to Washington, D.C., only to return at the end of the year at the request of my family. 9/11 brought the importance of being a family to the forefront. So I returned home and was around to watch my younger siblings finish their adolescent years. In some ways I have always felt that I put my own personal happiness and growth aside to support theirs. After some intense searching I found a comparable job in my company’s New York City office. I was so close to being offered that job and finally being able to achieve my dream of moving back to the east coast when another candidate came in at the last minute and I lost the job to him. My latest two job disappointments came last week and yesterday morning respectively.

Added to these disappointments, my frustrations with friends and the feeling of being taken advantage of and being unappreciated have lead me to question my existence and purpose in the world. “Would the world be a better place if I weren’t in it?” “Would anyone even notice if I were no longer a part of the world?” As painful as it is to admit this publically, these questions have been dominating my thoughts for the past couple of months. For example, if I were never around, would my brother still have gotten into the restaurant business which eventually lead him to become the youngest Master Wine Sommelier in America? Would my sister have then followed him into the hospitality industry where she found her husband-to-be? Does my existence make any impact in the work that I do, the world of community theatre, or the people that I befriend? It is not a good feeling to feel forgotten or overlooked, especially during this time of the year when we celebrate life, love, family, and our blessings.

It’s A Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play, a derivative work based on Frank Capra’s classic 1946 film now playing at Mānoa Valley Theatre (MVT), has many parallels to my recent personal experiences. MVT Guest Director Kevin Keaveney (making his MVT directorial debut) leads a cast of six talented actors and actresses. For those of the younger generation who are not familiar with the ‘radio play’ concept, it is a nice reminder of how entertainment used to be. For those who love theatre, it is a heartwarming and entertaining show blending the nearly extinct art for radio vaudeville with the enjoyment of live theatre.

Comedic highlights include Elitei Tatafu, Jr., an MVT veteran playing numerous roles including the greedy Mr. Potter, Shannon Winpenny, who most recently directed MVT’s Tony n Tina’s Wedding, and Troy M. Apostol, making his MVT debut. These three deliver a myriad of characters, which makes it vocally seem like a much bigger cast than it truly is. Lauren Murata rounds out the speaking cast, while Nicole Tessier plays the vocally silent but essential role of the sound effects engineer.

The most heartwarming and emotional performance, however, comes from Jordan Savusa who portrays George Bailey, the show’s protagonist, a man whose imminent suicide on Christmas Eve brings about the intervention of his guardian angel, Clarence (Angel Second Class) who is on a mission to earn his wings. The scene of raw anguish when Savusa cries out to God in Martini’s bar brought tears to my eyes and it was then that my direction for writing this show’s review shifted.

Savusa’s portrayal of Bailey’s journey through his beloved Bedford Falls as if he was never born was a heart-wrenching reminder to me that no matter how down and worthless you may be feeling, and no matter how much you question whether or not the world would be better off without you, your existence does in fact matter. Whether we know it or not, simply existing makes a difference in the world and for the people in it. It reminded me that no matter how worthless and hopeless I am feeling right now, I do matter.

At a time when I was questioning my own worth and necessity in this world, this show was a much needed rejuvenation and helped put things back into perspective. Just as Clarence helped to save George Bailey’s life, this show helped to breathe new life into me. During this time of holiday spirit, when we begin to review our year and successes and failures, It’s A Wonderful Life: A Radio Play reminds us of what is truly important in life. My one disappointment with this production is that it only runs from December 8-11, 2011. If there is one show that you need to see this holiday season, I highly recommend that you make it this one.

Tickets can be purchased by calling the MVT Box Office at 808-988-6131 or e-mailing tickets@manoavalleytheatre.com.