See Charlie Brown on MU’s Stage

Charlie Brown and other"Peanuts"friends are jumping off the page and onto Millersville's stage! This fall, MU Theatre will stage "You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown (revised)"in the Rafter's Theatre at Dutcher Hall with various performances spanning Oct. 30 - Nov. 9.

Jonathan Strayer, assistant professor and director of dramatics, is directing this production alongside music director Kristin Sims and Kat Thorpe, assistant director and choreographer. "The show is a heartwarming and fun journey into the world of Charles Schulz's beloved 'Peanuts' characters, which is on the verge of its 75thanniversary in 2025,"Strayer says. "The show offers a nostalgic yet fresh experience for audiences of all ages as Charlie Brown, Snoopy and the gang explore universal themes like friendship, self-doubt and the simple joys of life. With its many catchy songs, vibrant performances and relatable moments of heartfelt humor, this production is the perfect feel-good escape that reminds us of the importance of kindness, imagination and the power of human connection in a time when much of the world seems so at odds with itself. Whether the audience is revisiting childhood favorites or discovering this world for the first time, it's a show that leaves everyone smiling," he pitches.

The student cast includes Michael Klitsch playing Charlie Brown, Lydia Kramer playing Sally Brown, Anya Ditzler, Kyle McLoughlin, Calvin Butler, Ana Santiago, Allie Lockhart, Ryan Slusky, Madison Kreider, Jered Mackison, Julianne Miekley and Pierce Mayew rounding out the rest of the cast. The cast and stage management crew is made up of 15 students from a variety of majors across campus. There are an additional 25 or so students from Entertainment Technology and a variety of majors across campus working behind the scenes

Strayer shares that this production differs from standard Millersville shows because of the use of swing actors. Strayer explains that a "swing" is like an understudy that plays multiple character tracks or roles.

Strayer notes that "this is extremely challenging for all our actors, but incredibly exciting because we are training them to operate in the same way that professional theatres use swing and understudies to cover roles on a regular basis. There are not many undergraduate programs our size doing this sort of thing. This type of training usually starts in professional graduate programs or at performing arts conservatories."

Strayer encourages students and community members to attend one regular performance as well as a swing performance to support the challenging work MU actors are doing.

Performance dates are as follows:

• Oct. 30 at 7 p.m.

• Oct. 31 at 7 p.m.

• Nov. 1 at 7 p.m.

• Nov. 2 at 2 p.m.

• Nov. 2 at 7 p.m. (Swing Perf: Charlie Brown & Sally)

• Nov. 3 at 2 p.m.

• Nov. 6 at 7 p.m.

• Nov. 7 at 7 p.m. (Swing Perf: Linus & Lucy)

• Nov. 8 at 7 p.m.

• Nov. 9 at 2 p.m. (Swing Perf: Schroeder & Snoopy)

• Nov. 9 at 7 p.m.

"It's a privilege to work on a show with such a rich source of material-74 years of comics. However, this also presents a challenge: how do we breathe new life into something so beloved and iconic? The task is finding the balance between making this production uniquely our own while honoring the audience's expectations and, for many, their nostalgic memories of these cherished characters," Strayer shares.

MU Theatre mainstage auditions are open to all students from any major. There will be auditions in November for the spring production of "Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike" by playwright Christopher Durang.

For more information on MU Theatre Productions, visit: https://bit.ly/3Ydj6qD.

Purchase tickets here: https://bit.ly/40gkdaP.

Public link

Please use the above public link if you want to share this noodl on another website.