Actor switches gears in ‘It’s a Wonderful Life.’

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Duane Leatherman admitted it was time to step out of his comfort zone.

After playing guardian angel Clarence in three previous productions, Leatherman will play Mr. Potter in Carmel Community Players’ presentation of “It’s a Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Show” Dec. 2 to 5 at The Cat, 254 Veterans Way, Carmel

“Three times seemed like enough to play Clarence, but I had always thought Potter seemed like a fun role to play,” Leatherman said. “Often, who do many people remember? The creepy and/or nasty villain. Besides, without Potter, the story would never have happened or been as dramatic. Quintessential good vs evil, with the good winning.”

For professional and COVID-19 reasons, Leatherman lives on the Butler campus as a faculty-in-residence, and his wife, Linnea, lives in their Westfield home. Linnea plays three roles. She is the angel superintendent, who supervises Clarence, and portrays George’s mother, Rose, and a bank employee, Matilda.

Besides Potter, Leatherman also plays Gower, the pharmacist.

Sydney Loomis portrays George Bailey.

“First of all, ‘It’s a Wonderful Life’ is my favorite movie ever made,” Loomis said. “I love the George Bailey character because I can identify with him so easily, and we both have a lot in common, including pulling my little brother out of a pond when he was about 4 years old. I was about 10 years old when I pulled my brother Jon out of our neighbor’s fish pond. It was in the summer, though, thank heavens.

George and I are also in a similar line of work. He worked for a building and loan and I have been in banking for 41 years.”

Loomis, a 1978 Noblesville High School graduate, was in a Carmel Theatre Co. production of “It’s a Wonderful Life” (radio play) in 2017, playing George Bailey. A Cicero resident, he is the branch manager of The Farmers Bank, 16940 Clover Rd., in Noblesville.

“Two of my granddaughters are also in the show with me and they are making their theatrical debuts,” Loomis said.

His granddaughters are Caylee Provence, 8, and Evelyn Robison, 6.

For more, visit carmelplayers.org.


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