Honestly, Community Theater can be frustrating. You’re dealing with volunteer time, a limited budget, broken lights, torn costumes and about a million other things that go wrong. It can be easy to lose sight of why you signed up to do the show in the first place. It is so important to remember the value of art in small communities. This is a story of the first show I solo directed, and how it changed my perspective and appreciation for theater forever.
Casting Charlie Brown
The first show I ever directed alone was “You’re a Good Man Charlie Brown” the musical. I’ve always loved this show, and it's simple costuming, staging and small cast made it the ideal show to make my community director debut on.
Several of my high school peers auditioned for the show. Making the right casting choices are so important. The cast practically fell into my lap. The perfect snoopy personality, the singing voice of Lucy, the adorableness of Linus was all there in the audition. The only decision that took me a while to make, was the Character of Charlie Brown.
I had two strong actors to be put in the part of Charlie. One was a tall, strong singer with good hair and acting skills. He had a large resume and a great audition. The other was an average boy with a cute smile and a kind, honest disposition. He loved to sing in the choir and wanted to try out musicals.
My co-director thought it was an obvious choice. Go with the stronger actor and singer. However, I was advocating for the underdog. What is Charlie brown if not advocacy for the underdog? While it was a risky choice, I chose the second of the pair. When I looked at him I saw potential, and I wanted to make an actor out of the choir kid.
Creating A Character
Casting a lead that was not quite on the same level as all the other actors in the show was risky. My Charlie Brown expressed how nervous he was about comparing before rehearsals even started. I assured him I chose him for a reason, and when I was done with him he would be an exceptional Charlie Brown.
This did however take time, patience and care. Every approach to blocking, notes, and even singing had to be different for this actor then any other member of the cast. As I got to know him more, the things that made him uncomfortable and the things that made him happy, the
bettor of a director I could be to this performer.
When he could not sing a song, I told him to talk. When he could never remember stage directions, I told him to do what felt natural, and surely enough he did all the blocking we talked about. I found creative ways to get him out of his comfort zone and out of his head.
After weeks of work, one day it all clicked. The awkward, clunky, uncomfortable actor I had cast was suddenly gone. The hours of rehearsal on and off stage paid off as he stood proudly in the spotlight and sang. He was the Charlie Brown I always knew he could be, the one I saw at auditions that he could never see.
After this day, his whole dynamic with the cast changed. They were better friends and better performers. They bounced back and forth on stage with excitement as they began to feel they not only had a good show, but a great show.
Their patience and love for each other made their show into something even I could not have foreseen. After the first night and word got out, we sold out every show and extended our run. The community rallied around our show. Myself and my cast still get recognized for this show years later in our small town.
Good storytelling will always have an impact. Art in small communities is of vital importance. Don’t lose sight of your role as you build your local theaters.
"You’re a Good Man Charlie Brown."
It's my favorite line in the show. After hours of conflict singing, mocking, teasing and taunting Charlie Brown, Lucy turns to him at sunset and tells him he is a good man. The lights dim and the curtain closes. It gave me chills from opening night to closing.
I was not the only cast member this struck a chord with, my charlie brown did not have to act in this final scene, his smile and look of satisfaction was all his own. Because at the end of each show, he knew he had done something he had never done before. He stepped outside of his comfort zone, and it paid off as the audiences cheered for him every night.
This completely changed the actor I once knew. After his debut on stage as the lovable underdog, he no longer saw himself as one. His confidence shot through the roof and he began to make changes in his life. He joined two competitive audition choirs and made several appearances as the soloist in his companies. He made more friends around school. He applied to the most prestigious college in our state, and got in.
Everything about Charlie Brown’s personality had unlocked, and he was no longer in hiding, all because of theater. While he did not go on to do theater ever again, he became a better man. The ripples, the effects that local arts makes are immeasurable.
Remember your impact as a local artist, and never stop creating.
You never know when you will help your own Charlie Brown.
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