Play has innocent air with some more meaningful messages

Good grief.
Furman's version of the 1999 revival of the musical "You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown," promises to be an entertaining and laughable production.
Junior Charlie Stoop, a biology major, put the show together in six weeks after coming back to Furman from foreign study winter term. The first time director, who played Tateh in "Ragtime" last year, has been involved in theater since he was young.
"The hardest part of directing the play was trying to connect all the things together. Each scene is like a piece of a comic strip," he said. "I wanted to make them all different but tie them all together."
The show is composed of only nine cast members - six principle roles and three ensemble members - and a minimal set. A platform, fake piano and Snoopy's doghouse are the only things onstage.
Stoop said this leaves more of a blank slate for the mind.
"It's about exploring your imagination," he said.
Sophomore Anna Beth Bonney, a member of the ensemble, said that the show has more meaning than meets the eye.
"There is not really much of a plot, more just short skits involving the famous Peanuts characters," she said. "But the themes of friendship and the simplicity of life carry throughout."
"These characters, through their simple childish outlook, really can be quite profound," added Bonney.
Freshman Sarah Hargett, who plays Lucy in the production, said that fans of the Peanut gang will really enjoy the show.
"The concise scenes in the musical resemble the short, quick exchanges in the famous comic strip," said Hargett.
"The comedy is quite varied but constant, running the gamut from slapstick to dark comedy," she added.
Tickets for "You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown" are $5. The show will run Thursday, Friday and Saturday at 6:30 p.m. in the amphitheater for CLP credit. Stoop estimates it will last between an hour and 45 minutes and two hours.
"It turned out to be really funny," he said. "It's really innocent, not dirty-funny. It's a throw back to silliness.