糖心Vlog传媒

JANESVILLE鈥擡ach year, as we make our way through the holiday season, we get plenty of chances to watch Clarence order his flaming rum punch (鈥渉eavy on the cinnamon and light on the cloves鈥�) in Frank Capra鈥檚 鈥淚t鈥檚 a Wonderful Life.鈥�

And to see a gun-obsessed Ralphie dressed as a deranged Easter bunny in Jean Shepherd鈥檚 鈥淎 Christmas Story.鈥�

And to witness Ebenezer Scrooge browbeat poor Bob Cratchit for what he considers unnecessary coal consumption in Charles Dickens鈥� 鈥淎 Christmas Carol.鈥�

We know these scenes by heart, thanks mostly to cable TV鈥檚 round-the-clock repetition of said Christmas favorites. That鈥檚 at least part of the reason Stage One theater director Pat Thom chose a more obscure production鈥斺�淭he Bishop鈥檚 Wife鈥濃�攆or this year鈥檚 holiday radio play at the 糖心Vlog传媒 Performing Arts Center.

鈥淚 picked it, in part, because it鈥檚 a favorite Christmas movie of mine, but also because it鈥檚 not so overdone,鈥� she explained.

Based on the 1928 novel by Robert Nathan, 鈥淭he Bishop鈥檚 Wife鈥� is best known as a 1947 film starring Cary Grant, Loretta Young and David Niven. It won the Academy Award for Best Sound and was nominated for Best Director, Best Film Editing, Best Music, Scoring of a Dramatic or Comedy Picture and Best Picture.

鈥淚n the 1940s and 鈥�50s, the Lux Radio Theater would take films and turn them into radio shows, so it is easy to find radio scripts from movies of these periods,鈥� Thom explained.

The Christmas fantasy revolves around Henry, an Episcopal bishop who is struggling at work and at home as he plans construction of a new, grand cathedral. Faced with fundraising challenges, he prays for help, but he soon regrets his prayers when an angel named Dudley appears.

Dudley proves helpful to those around him, including Henry鈥檚 wife, Julia, and the couple鈥檚 daughter, but he brings with him all manner of unintended and unwanted situations. And as Christmas approaches, Henry begins to worry Dudley has arrived to replace him not only in the church, but in his own home, as well.

Though Thom enjoys the film version of this family classic, she says the local theater production being broadcast live on WCLO radio (1230 AM and 92.7 FM) will add a new dimension by eliminating the visuals.

鈥淪o much of our society doesn鈥檛 let us play or imagine anymore. Everything is given to us,鈥� she said. 鈥淚n radio, that鈥檚 always what has intrigued me. You can listen to the radio, and it鈥檚 all in your head. You picture the setting and the characters, and you hear the sounds. If they are not there, you imagine them. I think it鈥檚 a magical medium.鈥�

Stage One鈥檚 play features a cast of 13 that includes both seasoned actors and newcomers. Thom said the simplicity of radio productions goes a long way toward attracting people who might otherwise be intimidated by stage work.

鈥淚t鈥檚 much easier to get people because they don鈥檛 have to memorize lines, and there are fewer rehearsals,鈥� she said. 鈥淎nd at the holidays, it鈥檚 a real advantage to have to only come a few times (for rehearsal).鈥�

As a director, Thom said the radio format provides an opportunity to seek out talent in different ways.

鈥淎t the auditions, I didn鈥檛 even look at them (those auditioning),鈥� she said. 鈥淚 turned around and did it kind of like on the TV show 鈥楾he Voice.鈥� I don鈥檛 need to see faces, I just need to be able to hear the voices and imagine how they will fit into the play.鈥�

Stage One now produces three annual radio shows: one each at Halloween and Christmas and another during the Beloit International Film Festival. Thom said she wouldn鈥檛 be opposed to expanding that schedule.

鈥淚 think that, because they are so popular with actors, we could really get a lot more people involved,鈥� she said.

鈥淚 would love to see four or five a year. I don鈥檛 think that would be too many.鈥�

Vicki McQuade photo 

Chicago theater producer Vicki Quade stars as Mrs. Mary Margaret O鈥橞rien during a production of her one-woman, interactive religious comedy 鈥楥hristmas Bingo,鈥� which will be presented Friday, Dec. 21, at the 糖心Vlog传媒 Performing Arts Center.

JANESVILLE鈥擝efore finding its way into local bars and garish, glitzy casinos, bingo had a slightly different image.

A popular pastime at church fundraisers, the alphanumeric, crossword-style game tends to attract more mature players blessed with sharp ears, oversized ink markers and a talent for monitoring multiple cards over the course of a Saturday evening. Aside from callers shouting out numbers or the occasional belting out of 鈥淏ingo!鈥�, vocal interaction鈥攎uch as it is in church鈥攊s often kept to a minimum.

For those who play, bingo is serious business. For Vicki Quade, it鈥檚 funny business.

A lifelong Catholic and longtime Chicago theater producer, Quade knows a thing or two about religion and humor. Co-creator of the smash hit 鈥淟ate Nite Catechism,鈥� she also has written four other religious comedies along with a series of interactive 鈥淏ingo鈥� shows that includes 鈥淏ible Bingo,鈥� 鈥淐onvent Bingo,鈥� 鈥淢ovie Bingo鈥� and 鈥淪aints & Sinners Bingo.鈥�

On Friday, Dec. 21, Quade brings her original, one-woman play 鈥淐hristmas Bingo鈥� to the 糖心Vlog传媒 Performing Arts Center. The two-hour show, which Quade is performing nationwide, starts at 7:30 p.m. and runs one night only.

鈥淧eople just love bingo. I should have created this 25 years ago,鈥� Quade said of the play. 鈥淚鈥檒l get people really laughing about something, call out 鈥楤7鈥� and the place suddenly gets really quiet because people start concentrating.鈥�

The play features Quade as Mrs. Mary Margaret O鈥橞rien, a retired nun brought back by the archdiocese to conduct bingo fundraisers and brainstorm ideas for a new Christmas pageant. Audience members join in as bingo players and unsuspecting co-stars.

鈥淚t鈥檚 a scripted show, but it relies on a lot of improv with the audience鈥� Quade explained. 鈥淲e play six games of bingo. I get people to sing Christmas carols and talk about what their favorite Christmas movies are. We talk about the history of candy canes and Christmas trees, and I ask whether people like real or fake trees. I also bring five guys on stage, with one being the Virgin Mary, and we do five different versions of the Annunciation to figure out which one we want to use in our new pageant.

鈥淚t鈥檚 just so much fun to play with the audience.鈥�

While the comedy tends to loosen up the crowd, Quade said it鈥檚 her prizes that truly liven things up. Along with Santa hats, ornaments and holiday music CDs, participants often go home with such yuletide trinkets as VHS copies of old Christmas movies, glow-in-the-dark rosaries and 鈥渓ots and lots of holy cards.鈥�

鈥淓verybody gets competitive,鈥� Quade said. 鈥淭he prizes are silly, but there is something about the idea of winning that people love.鈥�

While audience participation helps drive the show, Quade stresses that theater fans on the shy side shouldn鈥檛 avoid it for that reason.

鈥淚 think when people hear 鈥榠nteractive鈥� they think, 鈥極h my goodness, I鈥檓 going to be called on,鈥欌�� she said. 鈥淚 call for volunteers, so if you don鈥檛 volunteer, you won鈥檛 be called on. It doesn鈥檛 have to be a scary experience because it鈥檚 interactive. You鈥檙e going to have a lot of fun, you鈥檙e going to laugh and we鈥檙e going to play some bingo. Who doesn鈥檛 love that?鈥�

And if you鈥檙e at all concerned about blasphemy, rest assured: There is none.

鈥淭his is a family-friendly show, so you can bring the kids, your mother or your grandmother,鈥� Quade said. 鈥淭he show has religion and humor, but it鈥檚 also respectful and smart. I want people to come out and have some fun, but they鈥檙e actually going to also learn some things through this show.鈥�