This summer the Hope Summer Repertory’s Children’s Performance Troupe is presenting two productions that will delight the young and the not so young.
This season started by bringing to the stage the Peanuts® characters from the comic strip by Charles M. Schulz to life in the musical "You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown. Beginning July 8 the troupe will present "The Amazing Adventures of Dr. Wonderful (And Her Dog!)". The productions are presented in the Studio Theatre of the DeWitt Center on the campus of Hope College. Tickets are $12 with general seating.
In an average day in the life of Charlie Brown everyone says, ‘you’re a good man, Charlie Brown” but he cannot fathom why he is so special when he can’t fly a kite, punt a football, or win a game of checkers. Through his own experiences and the antics of Schroeder, Linus, Lucy, Sally, and his dog Snoopy, Charlie learns that being good ol’ Charlie Brown is not so bad after all.
Dr. Wonderful has a mystery on her hands. A superstar is going to disappear and it is up to her to use her science expertise to solve the mystery before dinner. Newton, her dog and lab assistant, and her best friend Ben, who she thinks is awesome, join her on the adventure of the lifetime filled with space travel, songs about solar fusion and butterscotch pizzadogs. In this entertaining and educational musical, Dr. Wonderful and her friends show us that you can accomplish anything when you work together, use the scientific method, and shift your perspective to see something new.
Theatre for young audiences is a very important aspect of theatre, especially in today’s world. In today’s world children spend more time with a computer screen than they do other people. Live theatre helps foster human connection as well as teach children about the world around them. As a child watches a live performance they absorb so much more than the plot. They learn about friendship, problem solving, the power of an individual, and more; these things will stick with them because of the connectivity between the performers and the audience. Live actors create characters right in front of the child, making the story and things they learn from it more present. When it comes right down to it, children’s theatre is a fun, entertaining, and educational experience for all ages.
You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown features HSRT company members: Matt Madden as Charlie Brown, Allison Morse as Sally Brown, Kate Colburn as Lucy, Michael Williams as Linus, Bernell Lassai as Schroeder, and Nick Selting as Snoopy. The Amazing Adventures of Dr. Wonderful (And Her Dog!) features: Kate Colburn as Dr. Wonderful, Joshua Kumler as Newton, Matt Madden as Ben, and Laura Ezzo as Mom.
Tickets are on sale by calling 616-395-7890, going to hope.edu/hsrt or by visiting one of Hope Summer Repertory’s two ticket offices. The Dewitt Ticket Office, located at 141 E. 12th St, is open Monday-Friday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Saturdays from noon until intermission of the evening performance. The 8th Street Ticket office located at 100 E. 8th St is open Monday-Friday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. For more information e-mail tickets@hope.edu.