Never give up.

Perhaps equally as important is to never take our loved ones for granted.Therein lies the underlying theme of the Palmerton Area High School Drama Club's fall production of "It's a Wonderful Life."Showings are today, Friday and Saturday at 7 p.m. Doors will open at 6:30 p.m. There is a $5 admission charge.According to Drama Club adviser Brent Harris, George Bailey is the central character, and the show revolves around his constant struggles to break free of his hometown and make something of himself. As his life progresses into the 1940s, George finds that he is achieving all the things in life that his family would want for him, but that each of those achievements set his roots a little bit deeper in the town of Bedford Falls.Eventually, George ends up taking over the family business and marries a local girl named Mary Hatch. Together, he said they have four children and live in an old house that Mary has fallen in love with.All of this leads to frustration in George and it culminates when his uncle, who is also his business partner, misplaces $8,000. This puts George over the edge, claiming that the world would have been better off had he never been born.It is at this point that an angel named Clarence shows George just how important the life of one person can be. George is given a tour of Bedford Falls as if he had never been in it, and realizes that he really did live a "wonderful life."Harris said this particular production was chosen because the club had talked for a while about doing a show that was holiday-themed."The play always falls in the first or second weekend of December, so it only made sense to go with something along those lines," Harris said. "In this case, 'It's a Wonderful Life' is a play that we not only saw as a holiday production, but as one that includes a powerful message about never giving up and knowing how fortunate we are to have the friends and family around us that we so often take for granted."The Drama Club not only provides students with the opportunity to work on stage, but also with a family environment in which we all support each other through whatever issues life throws at us. This has become more and more evident over the years and 'It's a Wonderful Life' falls right in to that theme for us."The main characters, along with the students who will portray them, include: George Bailey, Daniel Russo; Clarence, Dalton Alexander; Uncle Billy, Jonathan Hillanbrand; Mary Bailey, Abby-Rose Emes; Mr. Potter, Owen Mendes; Mr. Gower, Sean Gibson; and Violet Peterson, Emel Rasim.Harris explained the objective of the production."This year's goal was to tackle a holiday production that was built on a heartfelt and uplifting story. Whereas the spring musicals here at the high school are becoming something more complex and involved than they have been before, the beauty of this play is in its simplicity.""The students are challenged with the task of portraying characters as real as you and I," he said."George Bailey and the rest of Bedford Falls have been known by many who have enjoyed the film version of 'It's a Wonderful Life' for years and years. But to understand the struggles, accomplishments, failures, hopes, and dreams of these characters and bring them to life on stage takes a tremendous amount of effort."Harris is proud of the effort."I think the students have done a remarkable job in digging beneath the surface of this production and truly understand the heart of 'It's a Wonderful Life.'"