Renton High School: You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown!

"If I stand here, I can see the Little Red Haired girl when she comes out of her house... Of course, if she sees me peeking around this tree, she'll think I'm the dumbest person in the world... But if I don't peek around the tree, I'll never see her... Which means I probably AM the dumbest person in the world... which explains why I'm standing in a batch of poison oak.” -- Charlie Brown, from the Peanuts comic strip

Charlie Brown. The kid that never seemed to get it quite right in love, in football, in relationships with his friends or his little sister. He's the star of the Peanuts comic strip by Charles M. Schulz that has been running for decades. On May 13 and 14 the beloved Peanut character stars in the -produced musical, "You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown!" 

Drama teacher Matt Milton describes the musical as more of a variety show than the garden-variety 'linear plotline.'

The script consists of  short scenes  reminiscent of the actual Peanuts comic strip. 

"It collectively gives us a look into a day in the life of Charlie Brown and his many friends," he said. "I chose this show because it combines my love of my two favorite forms of communication, theatre and comics."

Choir Director Liz Diaz appreciates the lighthearted and witty nature of the selection.

"There is an innocence about the show and nothing dark or tortured like Into the Woods or West Side Story," she said. "Don’t get me wrong.  Those shows are great, and I loved working on them; however, 'light' can be nice, too.  There is also a sentimentality to the show, in that it reminds you of your own childhood."

Milton will teach a new class next year at Renton High called "Graphic Novel and Cartooning." As part of the class development he's been researching Schulz, who he calls one of the greatest titans of the graphic fiction world.

"I think that the world benefited greatly from his innovation. I hope that we are doing him proud. I think he would love to see our kids diving into the rich characters that he so lovingly created and developed."

Part of the joy of Peanuts, of course, has always been in the sweet quirkiness of its characters: Lucy, the bratty sister; the sweet, yet perennially depressed Charlie Brown; and Linus with his blanket.

"Schulz's greatest skill was in endowing each of his characters with a strong individual personality, so my challenge to my actors has been to lead them to find that personality through research of their individual characters, and then transfer those personalities from Schulz's pen and brush, into their own bodies on the stage," said Milton.

Charlie Brown has always been known for his unique take on the world, which the show will undoubtedly demonstrate.

In Charlie Brown's own words: "There's nothing like unrequited love to take all the flavor out of a peanut butter sandwich.”

We'll drink a glass of milk to that.