Charlie Brown, Ice Cream and Live Theatre: Western Playhouse Opens June 15-24

Western Playhouse, the new summer professional theatre company hosted by the Western Institute at Missouri Western State University, will open its inaugural season, “A Season of Love,” with “You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown” June 15-24 in the Potter Hall Theater on Missouri Western’s campus. Performances will be at 7 p.m. June 15, 16, 22 and 23, with 2 p.m. matinees June 16, 17, 23 and 24.  Tickets are $9.50 for children and $15 for adults and are available online at www.westernplayhouse.com, by phone at 816-271-4452, or in person at one of two box office locations: the Western Institute office, Spratt Hall room 105 Monday through Friday, or Potter Hall Saturday and Sunday and two hours prior to any performance.

“Our goal is to create a new family summer tradition in St. Joseph, and ‘Charlie Brown’ is a lighthearted musical that all members of the family can enjoy,” said Dallas Henry, director of the show and managing director of the company. “The comic strip ‘Peanuts’ has been beloved for so long because kids and adults alike can relate to the characters and appreciate the humor. The show builds on those characters and that humor with charming musical numbers like ‘The Doctor is In,’ ‘Snoopy,’ ‘Suppertime’ and ‘Happiness.’ And even if people have seen ‘Charlie Brown’ before, they haven’t seen this one: we have a few surprises waiting for the audience.”

The fun atmosphere will go beyond the stage, said Henry.

“We’ll have picnic tables set outside Potter Hall for families to use before or after every performance, and Nestlé and Aspen Leaf Yogurt have generously donated products so we can sell frozen yogurt, ice cream sundaes and root beer floats at intermission for only $1,” he said. “In addition, before each of the Saturday matinee performances of ‘Charlie Brown,’ the St. Joseph Mustangs will sign autographs beginning at 1 p.m. and, weather permitting, families will have a chance to fly kites on the lawn, far away from any ‘kite-eating trees.’”

“You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown,” based on the comic strip “Peanuts” by Charles M. Schulz with music and lyrics by Clark Gesner and book by John Gordon, tells the story of an average day in the life of Charlie Brown and his friends. Charlie pines for the “little redheaded girl” and sends his dog into rapturous joy by bringing the supper dish, Lucy woos the musician Schroeder and dispenses psychiatric advice for 5 cents, and Snoopy … well, Snoopy is Snoopy, battling the Red Baron and barely feigning interest in dog-like activities like chasing rabbits.

Bringing these lovable characters to life is a talented cast and crew that includes members of Actors’ Equity Association, the Union of Professional Actors and Stage Managers.

“With our first show, we want to set the bar high,” Henry says. “The cast includes top-shelf local talent as well as a very talented guest from Kansas City. The technical crew is creating a wonderful set that will literally bring the comic pages to life.”

The cast includes:

•    Tee Quillin, assistant professor of theatre and cinema and artistic director of Western Playhouse, as Charlie Brown. Quillin is a classically trained professional actor, with stage credits including performances with the Dallas Theater Center, Kitchen Dog Theatre, WaterTower Theatre    and the Utah Shakespearean Festival.
•    Ray Johnson as Schroeder. In only three years as a St. Joseph resident, Johnson has made quite a mark on the local theater scene. He has been seen as Wonka in Robidoux Resident Theatre’s production of “Willy Wonka” and as the Phantom in Missouri Western’s production of “Phantom.”
•    Alisha Marie Garnier as Lucy van Pelt. Garnier has been seen around the Kansas City area in shows such as “How to Succeed” (The Barn), “Titanic” (Leawood Stage Co.), “Children of Eden” (Music Hall), “The Wedding Singer” (TTIP), and “You’re A Good Man, Charlie Brown,” (She&Her). Look for her in the Kansas City Fringe Festival Show Sing, Sing, Sing! in July.
•    Erik Burns-Sprung as Linus van Pelt. Burns-Sprung, of Kansas City, Mo., is a student at Missouri Western majoring in theatre and cinema. He was involved in all four main stage productions during his just-completed freshman year, performing in three and operating the light board for the fourth. He earned two Irene Ryan nominations for his performances in “A Christmas Carol” and “Little Shop of Horrors.”
•    Morgan Breckenridge as Sally Brown. Breckenridge, of Cameron, Mo., is a junior at Missouri Western studying vocal music performance. Her most recent roles have been Christine in Missouri Western’s production of Phantom and Audrey in Missouri Western’s production of Little Shop of Horrors. She received a nomination for the Irene Ryan Acting Scholarship through the Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival.
•    Kyle Minx as Snoopy. Minx, of Grain Valley, Mo., is currently in his senior year at Missouri Western studying vocal music performance. He most recently played the role of emcee in Robidoux Resident Theatre’s production of Cabaret and Orin Scrivello in Missouri Western’s Little Shop of Horrors this last spring. For that role, he received a Musical Theatre Initiative Nomination from the Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival.

The crew includes:

•    Henry, director. Henry is an assistant professor of theatre and cinema at Missouri Western. In addition to his undergraduate and master’s degrees, he received theatrical training from the Royal Shakespeare Company, Stratford Festival of Canada and Second City of Chicago. Among his directing credits is the music video for Craig Morgan’s “International Harvester,” one of CMT’s Top 20 Videos for 2008.
•    Mark Pennington, musical director. Pennington teaches at Central High School and is worship director at Wyatt Park Christian Church. He toured nationally with Carol Channing in “Hello, Dolly!” and sang back-up for Eddy Arnold. In New York, he worked with the Tony-award winning director/choreographer, Susan Stroman.
•    Garnier, choreographer
•    Eric Voecks, scene designer/technical director. Voecks has designed and built sets or props for The Brownville Village Theatre, The Rose Theatre, The Blue Barn Theatre and The Grande Olde Players, Steve Thompson and Associates, The Delaware Theatre Company, TheatreVirginia and The Black Hills Playhouse. In Kansas City, Eric has designed lights for The UMKC Theatre Department and the Conservatory of Music and Dance, as well as lighting designs for the Coterie and Unicorn theatres.
•    Kelly Vogel, costume design. Vogel is a costume and scenic designer living in Lawrence, Kan. She designed costumes for all four Missouri Western productions last year, and has designed for the University of Kansas, the Nebraska Shakespeare Festival and elsewhere. She also worked as a costumer for the Hallmark Hall of Fame production of “Skylark” and as wardrobe supervisor for the Aerosmith music video “Blind Man.”
•    Shaun Allison, lighting design. Allison is a senior cinema and theatre major from St. Joseph, Mo. He participated as lighting crew for numerous Missouri Western productions and was light designer for “Arsenic and Old Lace.”
•    Grant Adkins, sound design. Adkins is a Missouri Western senior majoring in computer information systems with a minor in video production. Grant was the sound designer for three of Missouri Western’s four theatrical productions last year.

Missouri Western State University is a comprehensive regional university providing a blend of traditional liberal arts and professional degree programs. The university offers student-centered, high quality instruction that focuses on experience-based learning, community service, and state-of-the-art technology. Western is located in St. Joseph, Mo., and is committed to the educational, economic, cultural and social development of the region it serves. Visit www.missouriwestern.edu.