<body><div><figure><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=0K1ana_1GzQaGWJ00" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=0K1ana_1GzQaGWJ00" width="1662" height="1247" ><figcaption>Submitted photo WSHS students are performing the musical “You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown,” later this month.</figcaption></figure>The Winona Senior High School (WSHS) fall musical features some new directors this year, and they hope to use the positive experiences they had as theater students to inspire confidence in their students. Students said that in theater, they’ve found a welcoming place to keep growing as they prepare to bring classic “Peanuts” characters to life later this month in “You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown.” New to directing this fall are Matt Krage, WAPS 5-12 choir director and the musical’s music director, and Samantha McCormick, a WAPS counselor who is directing the musical. Krage, a WAPS alum, participated in musicals throughout high school at a time when there would be up to 100 students on stage, he said. He learned from the then-director about the importance of including every student who wanted to take part, and today, carrying that philosophy forward, he hopes to keep growing the theater program. McCormick studied theater in college and is thrilled to bring that knowledge forward to students, from how to properly use stage makeup to how to help with the technical side of theater as assistant directors. “And I’ve really seen them embrace the tech side, and I think that’s opened their minds to, ‘Oh, there’s more to theater than just what you see on stage,’” she said. Students are learning about those different aspects of theater while portraying “Peanuts” characters through song and dance. The musical outlines a typical day in the life of Charlie Brown in a series of vignettes, Krage said. “… Two characters will come on, have a four or five line exchange, and then the next little vignette happens. So it’s almost like you’re paging through the comic strips, seeing these different stories that maybe aren’t connected by a plot, but they all string together to create the world of ‘Peanuts,’” he said. McCormick added that Snoopy, Linus, Lucy, Sally, Schroeder, and Peppermint Patty will appear on stage. It’s entertaining to watch high school students portraying the characters, who are six or seven years old but trying to answer some of life’s big questions, Krage said. “And so that’s a fun dynamic, to try to get high school kids to act and behave in the way younger kids would act,” he said. “But with ‘Peanuts,’ what’s really great about the characters is even though they’re little kids, they’re dealing with adult issues, and they’re dealing with adult complexities of life.” Students have read up on their characters and gotten excited about them, McCormick said. “And so they’re really digging into their characters, and that’s really coming to life on stage, which is really fun to see,” she said. For 11th grader Brayden Tremain, playing Charlie Brown, Brown may fail a lot, but he perseveres. “So I just think it’s a really good resemblance of the human condition, and how … even though we fail, we should get back up and keep on going,” he said. Tremain said he’s learned how to become immersed in a character. He continued, “So it’s really nice to explore who Charlie is and what he’s like, especially since he’s from an existing piece of media, and try to portray that to an audience as effectively as possible." For 10th grader Lyla Kirkeby, who plays Lila, a member of the ensemble, it’s all about being bubbly and fun. “She just seems like a sweet girl,” she said. At the same time, Kirkeby’s favorite Peanuts character is Woodstock. “He makes sure everyone is on task,” she said. Staying on task for the students means collaborating while learning choreography and lines. “There’s always that camaraderie that comes from putting so much hard effort and hard work into the musical,” Tremain said. The camaraderie makes theater fun, Kirkeby said. “You get to make a bunch of friends. No one here is condescending or mean, and everyone is just so supportive and will help you through anything,” Kirkeby said. While audience members will recognize the classic characters, the directors are adding a few new elements. For the first time in several years, a pit will play live, McCormick said, and the performances will take place at the middle school instead of their past location, the high school. The performances will take place at Winona Middle School at 7 p.m. on Friday the 20th and Saturday the 21st and at 2 p.m. on Sunday the 22nd. Tickets ($8 for adults and $5 for students) will be sold at the door. </div></body>

Block Source: winonapost.com

Misinformation

Clickbait

Old or repetitive news

Explicit content

Location not relevant

The Winona Senior High School (WSHS) fall musical features some new directors this year, and they hope to use the positive experiences they had as theater students to inspire confidence in their students. Students said that in theater, they’ve found a welcoming place to keep growing as they prepare to bring classic “Peanuts” characters to life later this month in “You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown.”

Students, new directors present “Peanuts” musical

NewsBreak

The Winona Senior High School (WSHS) fall musical features some new directors this year, and they hope to use the positive experiences they had as theater 

Students, new directors present “Peanuts” musical

Comments