For some, “You’re a Good Man Charlie Brown” might bring back strong childhood memories of the ‘Peanuts’ gang and the wisdom of the little kids. The play “Dog Sees God” ages the childhood characters into teenagers, trying to find their places in the world.
“Dog Sees God” is an unlicensed play about the ‘Peanuts’ gang, following the deaths of two characters, as told by CB [Zack Robb] in a letter to his pen pal. CB mourns over the death, questioning heaven or hell as he and his friends go through high school and encounter many different issues teens are faced with today, like drug use, teen pregnancy, abortion and death.
A moving performance put on by Lionface Productions, “Dog Sees God” has many emotional ups and downs for the audience. One moment, the audience is laughing along with the humor in the play, then finding themselves saddened by an event or by bringing something back from the original ‘Peanuts.’
The chemistry between CB and CB’s Sister [Nicole Tuttle] showed, to me, how true siblings argue, especially when both are upset over the same things. At the end though, they were able to put aside their differences and show their love for
each other.
Along with the brother and sister relationship, the friendships between CB and Matt [Michael Portteus] and CB and Van [Joshua Powell], while a bit gross in ways, was true in some manners, along with how CB was able to reconnect with Beethoven [Griffin Coldiron] as a friend and more after Beethoven’s past is addressed and it’s explained why he was no longer friends with a majority of the gang.
The actors behind the characters clearly put a lot of effort into becoming the characters and being able to portray the sadness, the anger and the hatred the characters felt for one and another or for the situations they were placed in throughout
the play.
While some of the names for the characters have been changed due to copyright laws, it is clear throughout the play which characters are which, or it become clearer as the play goes on. The tales told go along perfectly with the characters.
While it might not be the happily ever after anyone would want for their characters, it still paints a picture of a kind of reality that some might see in today’s society.
Overall, the play is worth seeing and revisiting the childhood memories of the ‘Peanuts,’ along with seeing and learning about the lives post-comic strip for the gang. Everyone involved with the play, actors and production, all put on a good show that hits home with the grief and an odd sense of nostalgia, even though the characters you once remember are different now in many different ways.
The content of the play is considered for mature audiences and will be running Friday and Saturday, starting at 8 p.m. at 123 Court St. Tickets are $7 and $5 for students.
