Arts Talk
The place to discuss the arts in the Capital Region
This Wonderful Life @ Capital Repertory Theatre
November 27, 2012 at 10:13 pm
By Michael Eck
ALBANY – Capital Repertory Theatre’s last main stage effort was a meta-exploration of a classic novel. Now, with “This Wonderful Life,” the downtown company is staging a similarly post-modern deconstruction of a classic film.
Where “Pride @ Prejudice” – a riff on Jane Austen’s “Pride and Prejudice” — featured a cast of five playing multiple characters, “Life” features only one actor playing the entire town “It’s a Wonderful Life’s” Bedford Falls.
Both feature a sort of curious blow-by-blow account of the source material, but where “Pride” flew its snark flag high, “Life” doesn’t even seem to realize it’s waving one.
Larry Daggett is the cast of “Life,” and he enters – remember this is nothing if not a self-referential piece – before the action even begins. He sits down amid the crowd, prepping them to join him in a viewing of Frank Capra’s 1946 masterstroke.
Read MICHAEL ECK's full report for the TMES UNION:
http://blog.timesunion.com/localarts/this-wonderful-life-capital-repertory-theatre-112712/25585/
This Wonderful Life
All the pleasure of Frank Capra’s classic movie – in only 70 minutes!
Based on the film, here’s the story of George Bailey, the good guy who comes to see himself as others do while confronting terrible hardship at the hand of Mr. Potter. You’ll meet the whole gang – Jimmy Stewart’s George Bailey, Donna Reed's Mary Hatch, town floozy Violet Bick and of course, Clarence, the endearing angel who needs wings.
