Now hear this: Radio play at theater

The Artcraft Theatre will offer a new take on a classic Christmas story beloved for generations when it hosts The New Mercury Theatre company in a presentation of Frank Capra’s “It’s a Wonderful Life” — live on stage as a radio show.

The show will be at 7:30 p.m. Dec. 8.

Performed as a radio-style production, audience members can step back in time and enjoy the story in the old-fashioned narrative format.

Performers will use sound effects true to the era of radio, such as stacks of paint sticks that “snap” to mimic a frozen pond cracking beneath a sled. Cheerleader pompoms imitate a rustling hydrangea bush. An antique ah-oogah horn tells us a taxi has arrived.

Handcrafted wind machines, miniature doors and other old-fashioned “Foley-props” mix with live music and animated voices to create an authentic 1940s feel.

The show is directed by New Yorker and Hollywood veteran Peter Spellos.

For tickets and more information, visit historicartcraft theatre.org.