An audience was made into believers as “Miracle on 34th Street” was performed this weekend at the Charleston Alley Theatre.

The CAT took a different approach at performing the classic holiday show about a girl struggling to believe in Santa Claus by turning it into a mock-radio play.

The mock-radio format was something Rachael Anderson, who played the role of the young girl’s mother, Doris, said proved to be challenging when performing.

“It was difficult to really act with only your voice, without body language and only being able to rely on inflection,” she said.

Thomas MacMullen, who played the narrator and postman, agreed, saying performing this variation of Miracle on 34th Street pushed him as an actor.

“To act and rely on just your voice, that’s definitely difficult,” he said.

MacMullen, who used to be involved in the radio industry, said he fully immersed himself into his character by puffing on a fake cigarette and keeping a 40s-style mustache for the role.

“The whole idea is to give it a 40s flavor,” he said.

MacMullen said he took all steps possible to fully embody his character because of the great legacy behind the show.

“You’ve got big shoes to fill,” he said. “I wanted to do the original justice.”

Wally Carlson, who played the role of Kris Kringle, said he is a fan of the original 1947 film for which Edmond Gwen won an Academy Award for best actor in a supporting role, and also wanted to play his part to the best of his ability.

Carlson said while he felt he had to live up to the legacy left by Gwen, he took comfort knowing Gwen must have felt an equal pressure playing such an iconic role.

“(Playing Santa Claus) is a little daunting,” he said. “But it must have been just as daunting for Gwen to play the legend of Kris Kringle.”

Director Duke Bagger said they chose “Miracle on 34th Street” to coincide with the holiday season and that all ages could enjoy.

“We tried do something with Christmas on the Square that would be family-friendly,” he said.

Bagger said because their last play, “Twelfth Night,” ended just two weeks before rehearsals for Miracle on 34th Street began, the cast had a short time to prepare.

But because Bagger knew most of the actors involved, he said he was confident that the cast could prepare for the play in such a short time span.

“I gave the heavy lifting to those people I knew could carry it off,” he said. “You go with who you know because they’ll be there ready to perform.”

The CAT will hold their final performance of “Miracle on 34th Street” Monday at 7:30 p.m. at its theatre, located at 718 Monroe Ave.

Tickets are $10 for general admission, $5 for children under 12 years old and $8 for groups of 10 or more.

Sara Hall can be reached at 581-2812 or [email protected].