8 // COASTWEEKEND.COM
BIG KIDS
GET TO
Kevin Perry, as Schroeder,
sings during a rehearsal for
“You’re a Good Man, Charlie
Brown.”
PENINSULA PLAYERS TO OPEN
‘YOU’RE A GOOD MAN, CHARLIE BROWN’
By PATRICK WEBB • FOR COAST WEEKEND
PHOTOS BY DANNY MILLER
You’re a good man, Charlie Brown . . .
With a heart such as yours, you can open
any doors.
You can go out and do anything!”
Theater director Rita Smith has that quality all career elemen-
tary school teachers have.
The U.S. Coast Guard labels it “command presence.”
Some educators prefer “loving discipline.”
Whatever it’s called, Smith directs her charges with a degree
of smiling firmness that is impossible to resist.
At a rehearsal as the Peninsula Players’ latest musical nears
the opening curtain, Smith appears able to play every part; as the
actors cross the stage in bunny hops or stylized dance moves, she
is right there with them, twisting playfully, tip-toeing mischie-
vously, smiling and calling out encouragement.
“You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown” is being staged at the
River City Playhouse in Ilwaco, Washington. And while Smith
emphasizes teamwork, there is no doubt its creativity begins with
her vision.
The show opens Friday, March 24. Nine performances are
spread across three weekends through April 9. Organizers hope
the fun will entice others to don greasepaint or help offstage.
The title character is played with relish by Robert Scherrer.
Since he moved from Seaside, he has acted in five musicals plus
several other shows with Smith.
“I have such admiration for her and her patience — especially
with people who have never acted. She works with them, and you
can just watch that person blossom,” he said. “She directs and
shows us exactly what she wants. She will work one-on-one with
a person or come up on stage and show us the way. She leads by
example, that’s for sure.”
“You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown” features the Peanuts
comic strip characters of Charles M. Schultz, whose shared ad-
ventures were first published in newspapers in the 1950s. Charlie
Continued on Pg. 9
Above: Actors sing during
a rehearsal for “You’re a
Good Man, Charlie Brown”
at the River City Playhouse.
Right: Director Rita Smith,
right, and musical director
Barbara Bate smile for a
portrait during a rehears-
al for “You’re a Good Man,
Charlie Brown” at the River
City Playhouse in Ilwaco.