Bakersfield’s College Theater Department will be putting on the play “It’s A Wonderful Life” at BC’s Performing Arts Center Indoor Theater.

Opening night is Dec. 2 and will continue through Dec. 5. The doors open at 7:30 p.m., the show begins at 8 p.m. with a 2 p.m. matinee on Dec. 5 as well.

A donation of $10 for general admission and $5 for students is suggested.

Kimberly Chin, professor at BC and director of “It’s a Wonderful Life,” said, “We’ll have a pre-show with Mr. & Mrs. Claus.”

Bryson Clark, who will play lead character George Bailey, said, “I was just taken back by how great of a story it was and how I’ve never heard of it up until this point. I really thought this would have been something I would have seen prior.”

Co-star Miranda Chavez, who plays Mary Hatch, has seen the orginal movie that became a holiday classic.

“I’m going to try and portray my character Mary to the best of my ability and really give the movie credit but also trying to create her in the way I envision her,” she said.

Humberto Lopez, who plays the assistant of Mr. Potter, the richest man in town and the irritant to Bailey’s character, said.

“I have seen it, but I think always bringing something new to the table is always much better than trying to do what they already did.”

Jessica Atkiso, the assistant manager, said, “I have read the entire play and seen the movie and it’s actually one of my favorite movies to watch around Christmas time…but it depends on the situation and the family you grew up with and if it’s a traditional holiday for you.”

Marina Martinez is the stage manager of the play said, “It’s something.You can see so many different performances of ‘It’s a Wonderful Life’ by different theaters or whatever, but each person they will give the character their own view of how they see it so you see them start to give them their own characteristic even as something as simple as a townsperson.”

The stage play is different from its movie adaptation where the characters in the movie are not in the play, but their dialogue is used by other characters.

“For example, in the film we actually see George Bailey’s father but he isn’t depicted in the stage version. There are scenes in the movie that are not easy or even possible to recreate on the stage, and so the playwright has omitted those scenes.” said, Chin. “Being a director, it’s my job to deliver the message of the playwright, that message being the greatest gift, and the greatest gift is your life.”

Chin is hoping for a great turn out each night and that the play gets publicity.

Chin also hopes that this family-friendly story will be a great way to start off the holiday season.