On Nov. 18 at 6:30 p.m. doors will open in FHN’s auditorium for our Masque Player’s performance of ‘You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown.’ This show will be performed on Nov. 18, 19 and 20 as a series of miniature skits similar to the way that the original Charlie Brown was.  However, this show is not a play like most of the previous performances these last few years, but a musical. That brings with it a certain set of challenges. 

“The music is very technical, in the different parts and key changes and harmonies, and then the score is very difficult,” Piper Stutsman, Charlie Brown in the show said. “People who aren’t in choir or who don’t read music every day. That is very hard for them to jump into.”

The Masque Players have been practicing after school to perfect the show. But the show has had even more preparation than just that. It was decided two years ago what show would be performed for that year, but with COVID-19 it has slowly been pushed down the road until this coming weekend. 

“Two years ago before COVID we were in the middle of it,” Stutsman, one of the original cast members, said. “The week we were supposed to be back to school was our tech week. That was the week of our show. It’s the exact same show, but two classes have graduated since then.”

With actor availability and a delay at the beginning of rehearsals, the preparation for this show has been a little less than normal. Usually they would have upwards of six or so weeks, in this case they only had five, so it was quite stressful at times. However, the crew believes that it will end positively just as it has every other year. 

“It’s been a little bit of a struggle, especially since we have not fully blocked the second act yet,” Drama club president and senior Natalie Meers said. “But I just remind myself, I’ve done this before. I’ve done it where we are blocking and we are in tech week. It’s gonna be okay.” 

This could be one of the final opportunities for the seniors to do a musical, next show could be a play. Therefore even with the smaller cast size, the actors have been working tirelessly to prepare the show for opening night. The cast is different from the original casting, but the energy remains the same. 

“It broke my heart when we cancelled four days before we went on stage,” Meers said. “That would have been the first musical I’d perform in. It’s an even bigger deal now because it’s like building up the anticipation. I’m just excited to perform it and give one good show to our audience.”