EDWARDSBURG — This weekend, audiences at the Edwardsburg High School Performing Arts building will hear a howling wind as the main stage curtain opens to reveal a classic character standing atop a bridge, waiting to have a chat with an angel.

EHS will host a high school production of the classic film “It’s a Wonderful Life” this weekend. Showtimes will be at 7 p.m. Friday, Dec. 1 and Saturday, Dec. 2, and at 2 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 3. Tickets will be $5 for students and seniors and $7 for adults. Families of five or more can purchase a ticket bundle for $25.

The play will follow the same plot of the 1946 film, where the character of George Bailey wishes he was never born, and an angel shows him what a world without Bailey would look like. The ultimate message of the play is  that every life matters, whether or not you can see it at the time.

Director Catherine Wood said that the school toyed with the idea of doing several different Christmas plays, such as “The Grinch” or “Miracle on 34th Street,” but settled on “It’s a Wonderful Life,” because she felt the message of the play would resonate with students.

“The message [of It’s a Wonderful Life] is so crucial to right now,” Wood said. “That sentiment that you are not alone and that your life matters is something that is a very relevant message.”

The idea that each life matters is something that EHS has been promoting to students for a long time, Wood said. The play choice is simply a further reflection of that, she said.

Both Wood and assistant director Chelsea Rehnlund hope that people will enjoy the story as much as they do.

“It’s a beautiful story about human nature and not feeling enough,” Rehnlund said. “Then it’s, the support of your family and your community coming around you saying that you are loved and you are enough. It’s a beautiful wonderful message to kick off the holiday season.”

Wood and Rehnlund are not the only ones excited about the play. Lead actors Robert Clark, a junior playing George Bailey, and  Natalie Rarick, a junior playing Mary Bailey, said they cannot wait for opening day.

“I wanted to this play because it is such an iconic character,” Clark said.

While both Clark and Rarick said that they have faced challenges,such as balancing their school work, while preparing the play, they would not have done anything differently because they love acting and the message behind “It’s a Wonderful Life.”

“It’s been a really fun experience,” Rarick said. “I hope people will come see the play and enjoy it, because we do.”