Linus explained the true meaning of Christmas in Lititz in December 2014, when the Warwick Middle School Drama Club presented “A Charlie Brown Christmas” in the middle school auditorium.
The production ran Friday, December 19, at 7 p.m. and Saturday, December 20, at 2 p.m.
A confident Charlie Brown
The eighth-grader cast as Charlie Brown was nothing like the gloomy character he played. Confident, articulate and energetic, he was taking on his second drama club role after appearing in “The Sound of Music” the year before.
He said he enjoyed this show’s interaction between characters and its physical comedy even more than his debut. Learning the lead’s lines took effort.
“I struggled a little bit near the beginning, but now I have it pretty much dialed in,” he said, adding that he found himself reciting the lines along with the characters when the animated special aired on television that year.
A newly available show
The Warwick production had something special going for it. Stage rights to the adaptation had only recently become available to schools and community theaters.
“It’s the first time it’s been legally done, since the rights were just released,” the young actor said. “Our wonderful drama directors were able to secure the rights.”
The story
Charles M. Schulz’s classic 1965 animated special comes to life in the faithful stage adaptation. Charlie Brown, feeling down despite the holiday cheer, is put in charge of the neighborhood Christmas pageant. Snoopy is busy decorating his doghouse for a contest, Lucy offers five-cent psychiatric advice, Sally writes a letter to Santa and the gang mocks the scrawny little tree Charlie Brown brings back for the play.
In the end, Linus steps into the spotlight to recite the Christmas story from the Gospel of Luke, and the friends gather around the little tree to sing.
“A Charlie Brown Christmas” first aired on CBS in December 1965 and won an Emmy and a Peabody Award. Its jazz score by the Vince Guaraldi Trio, including “Christmas Time Is Here” and “Linus and Lucy,” became one of the best-selling holiday albums of all time.
A family-friendly ticket
Tickets were $5 for adults and $2 for students, and children 5 and under were admitted free. Tickets were sold at the door starting half an hour before each performance.
The cast and stage crew included 27 middle school students who played the Peanuts gang, ran lights and sound, and moved sets.
Middle school theater in Warwick
The Warwick Middle School Drama Club gives students in grades six through eight their first experience on stage and backstage, often feeding into the high school’s ambitious spring musicals. Young performers learn to memorize lines, project their voices and work as an ensemble, while crew members learn lighting, sound and set construction.
For families, holiday shows like this one became an affordable seasonal tradition and a chance to see young neighbors shine on stage.
Why school theater matters
School productions give students a chance to build confidence, work as a team and develop skills that carry into other parts of life. Beyond the actors on stage, a show relies on students running lights and sound, building sets, handling costumes and managing the stage.
A family-friendly classic
You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown, based on the Peanuts comic strip by Charles M. Schulz, has long been a favorite of school and community theaters. Its short scenes, memorable songs and familiar characters make it accessible to young performers and audiences of all ages.
Supporting the arts
Attending school performances is one of the simplest ways for the community to support arts education. Ticket sales often help fund future productions, and a full house means a great deal to the students who have spent weeks rehearsing.
This article was originally published in December 2014.