Bishop Fenwick School is showing their version of “A Charlie Brown Christmas” on November 14, 15, and 16 at 7:00 p.m. at Breitfeller Auditorium in Rosecrans High School (1040 E Main St, Zanesville).
The production is based on the classic television special by Charles M. Schulz featuring his beloved Peanuts characters portrayed by a talented Bishop Fenwick cast.
The play is directed by Sean Jewell and two Rosecrans seniors Chris Wilson and Leeann Robinson under the guidance of Jillian Lepi who is also the producer.
“We started this summer doing a camp where we did 101 Dalmations and then our advisor Jillian Lepi asked us if we would help with Charlie Brown Christmas,” stated Leeann Robinson. “She normally has an idea of which play she is going to do in advance and she asked us if we would be ok with helping this year.”
Also part of the crew is Ashley Patterson and Teha Back (props and costumes), Levi Masters and Jillian Lepi (music direction), Tim and Deb Swingle as well as Lisa Wilson (set design), Chris Dowell and Roger Ward (sound), and Megan Lenox (choreography).
“It takes a lot of leadership skills that we learn here,” said student co-director Chris Wilson. “We have a mentor group right before lunch every day and it is just sitting down with people and talking to them about what is going on in their lives, so for a lot of the kids they have different backgrounds and different lives going on so it takes a lot to try to figure out well this is what is going on in their life and maybe if they are having a bad day, just talking to them so it has been very eye-opening just seeing what they need and then putting a smile on and putting them on stage and try to make a good production.
“We are both in Drama club and we are on stage for all of the high school plays so we decided to switch our roles this time and it has been big shoes to fill because normally Jillian is the one to do it. It has been exciting and challenging but it has been fun,” Robinson explained.
Several students are also lending a hand as crew members including Lucas Moyer (curtain), Elizabeth Hustey (lights), Case Maxwell (sound), and eight backstage crew members; Alissa Ahn, Naveah Church, Camden Lenox, Lyric Martin, Cami Mattingly, Elijah Meier, Oliver Newman, and Brydon Soller.
Making up the cast is Eli Patterson as Charlie Brown, Luke Daniels as Snoopy, Ellesyn Gibson as Lucy, Whatt Vaughn as Linus, Chase Kubasak as Pig Pen, Noelle Childs as Frieda, Michael Robinson as Schroeder, Lael Swingle as Violet, Peyton Hartman as Sally, Tylynn Bowers as Patty, and Oliver Walker as Shermy. There are also 25 members of the ensemble including Alex Abernethy, Adrianna Adair, Emma Back, Sophia Badertscher, Maci Burns, Sophie Dosch, Allie Doss, Kaisyn Gibson, Kiesyn Gibson, Madelyn Golden, Mariah Hammersley, Tyler Harney, Hudson Hinkle, Damian Huey, Sydney Larson, Mason Moyer, Cory Newman, Molly Palandrani, Flo Patterson, Kelsey Porter, Candace Shipp, Adrain Singleton, Zoey Willey, Samuel Winegar, and Caylie Wright.
“These kids have all been working their butts off,” Robinson said. “We are so proud of all of them, they’ve spent almost two months putting so much hard work into this, they’ve been dancing and singing, and it will just be a great show, I am so proud of all of them, they are so good!”
“If you want a good laugh, it is an easy place to go, a lot of the kids are very humorous,” added Wilson.
Tickets for “A Charlie Brown Christmas” can be purchased for the Friday and Saturday shows by going to brdc.booktix.com/dept/main/e/CBC. Tickets are $15 for adults, $10 for seniors and military, and $7 for students (an additional small processing fee may apply).
