Western Playhouse, the new summer professional theatre company hosted by the Western Institute at Missouri Western State University, will open its inaugural season, \u201cA Season of Love,\u201d with \u201cYou\u2019re a Good Man, Charlie Brown\u201d June 15-24 in the Potter Hall Theater on Missouri Western\u2019s 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.\u00a0 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.
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Charlie Brown (Tee Quillin) and Lucy Van Pelt (Alisha Marie Garnier) preview "You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown" at the East Hills Mall.<\/p><\/div>\n
\u201cOur goal is to create a new family summer tradition in St. Joseph, and \u2018Charlie Brown\u2019 is a lighthearted musical that all members of the family can enjoy,\u201d said Dallas Henry, director of the show and managing director of the company. \u201cThe comic strip \u2018Peanuts\u2019 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 \u2018The Doctor is In,\u2019 \u2018Snoopy,\u2019 \u2018Suppertime\u2019 and \u2018Happiness.\u2019 And even if people have seen \u2018Charlie Brown\u2019 before, they haven\u2019t seen this one: we have a few surprises waiting for the audience.\u201d<\/p>\n
The fun atmosphere will go beyond the stage, said Henry.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019ll have picnic tables set outside Potter Hall for families to use before or after every performance, and Nestl\u00e9 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,\u201d he said. \u201cIn addition, before each of the Saturday matinee performances of \u2018Charlie Brown,\u2019 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 \u2018kite-eating trees.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou\u2019re a Good Man, Charlie Brown,\u201d based on the comic strip \u201cPeanuts\u201d 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 \u201clittle redheaded girl\u201d 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 \u2026 well, Snoopy is Snoopy, battling the Red Baron and barely feigning interest in dog-like activities like chasing rabbits.<\/p>\n
Bringing these lovable characters to life is a talented cast and crew that includes members of Actors\u2019 Equity Association, the Union of Professional Actors and Stage Managers.<\/p>\n
\u201cWith our first show, we want to set the bar high,\u201d Henry says. \u201cThe 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.\u201d<\/p>\n
The cast includes:<\/p>\n
\u2022\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0Tee 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\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0and the Utah Shakespearean Festival.
\n\u2022\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0Ray 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\u2019s production of \u201cWilly Wonka\u201d and as the Phantom in Missouri Western\u2019s production of \u201cPhantom.\u201d
\n\u2022\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0Alisha Marie Garnier as Lucy van Pelt. Garnier has been seen around the Kansas City area in shows such as \u201cHow to Succeed\u201d (The Barn), \u201cTitanic\u201d (Leawood Stage Co.), \u201cChildren of Eden\u201d (Music Hall), \u201cThe Wedding Singer\u201d (TTIP), and \u201cYou’re A Good Man, Charlie Brown,\u201d (She&Her). Look for her in the Kansas City Fringe Festival Show Sing, Sing, Sing! in July.
\n\u2022\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0Erik 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 \u201cA Christmas Carol\u201d and \u201cLittle Shop of Horrors.\u201d
\n\u2022\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0Morgan 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\u2019s production of Phantom and Audrey in Missouri Western\u2019s production of Little Shop of Horrors. She received a nomination for the Irene Ryan Acting Scholarship through the Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival.
\n\u2022\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0Kyle 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\u2019s production of Cabaret and Orin Scrivello in Missouri Western\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n
The crew includes:<\/p>\n
\u2022\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0Henry, director. Henry is an assistant professor of theatre and cinema at Missouri Western. In addition to his undergraduate and master\u2019s 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\u2019s \u201cInternational Harvester,\u201d one of CMT\u2019s Top 20 Videos for 2008.
\n\u2022\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0Mark 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 \u201cHello, Dolly!\u201d and sang back-up for Eddy Arnold. In New York, he worked with the Tony-award winning director\/choreographer, Susan Stroman.
\n\u2022\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0Garnier, choreographer
\n\u2022\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0Eric 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.
\n\u2022\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0Kelly 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 \u201cSkylark\u201d and as wardrobe supervisor for the Aerosmith music video \u201cBlind Man.\u201d
\n\u2022\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0Shaun 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 \u201cArsenic and Old Lace.\u201d
\n\u2022\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0Grant 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\u2019s four theatrical productions last year.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Western Playhouse, the new summer professional theatre company hosted by the Western Institute at Missouri Western State University, will open its inaugural season, \u201cA Season of Love,\u201d with \u201cYou\u2019re a Good Man, Charlie Brown\u201d June 15-24 in the Potter Hall Theater on Missouri Western\u2019s campus. Performances will be at 7 p.m. June 15, 16, 22 […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":248,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[48],"tags":[213,562,746,786],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.missouriwestern.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/247"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.missouriwestern.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.missouriwestern.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.missouriwestern.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/7"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.missouriwestern.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=247"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.missouriwestern.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/247\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":7623,"href":"https:\/\/www.missouriwestern.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/247\/revisions\/7623"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.missouriwestern.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/248"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.missouriwestern.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=247"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.missouriwestern.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=247"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.missouriwestern.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=247"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}