Up & Coming Weekly

You’re a Good Man Charlie Brown on Stage at FSU by STEPHANIE CRIDER For several generations, Charlie Brown and his buddies have been a part of everyday life. They are in the funnies every day, Linus and the Great Pumpkin entertain us each October and A Charlie Brown Christmas is a must see every December. The rest of the year we follow Snoopy’s adventures as the Red Baron, Lucy’s crush on the musically talented but emotionally indifferent Schroeder, wait with baited breath for Lucy’s pearls of wisdom from her psychiatrists booth and collectively hold our breath as we wait to see if Lucy snatches the football away from Charlie Brown as he tries to kick it and will he ever get up the nerve to talk to the little redheaded girl that he loves so much? While Charles Schulz passed away years ago, Charlie Brown and company can still be found in the daily and Sunday funnies with their timeless humor and always fresh take on life. The gang has been on stage and television in different capacities since 1967 and are still going strong. April 15-17 guest Director Elysa Lenzcyk is bringing You’re a Good Man Charlie Brown to Fayetteville State University. No stranger to the production of great theater and big shows in small spaces, Lenzcyk is the stage manager at another local favorite theatrical venue, Fayetteville’s own Gilbert Theater. The piece will be choreographed by Avis Hatcher-Puzzo, and musical direction will be provided by Howard Kim. The play tells the story of an average day in the life of Charlie Brown and his friends. It takes place when most of the characters are 5- or 6-years-old (although the cast is adults). “The music is fun. The story is fun,” said Director of Theater and Associate Professor at Fayetteville State University Phoebe Hall. “It’s little people responding as little adults to strange situations.” The cast is made up of several current and former Fayetteville State University students. Schroeder is played by FSU alum Bruce Cook, Clayton Ridley is Charlie Brown and Linus is played by Amos Smith. Whitney Manns portrays Sally, while Corey Livingstone rounds out the group as Lucy. Hall encourages parents to include their children in this very special theatrical adventure. “I’m sure they will enjoy it. There will be something for everybody.” The show starts at 7:30 p.m. each evening at Butler Theatre on the FSU campus. For more info visit www.uncfsu.edu/theatre/ comingattractions.htm. STEPHANIE CRIDER, Staff Writer. COMMENTS? 484-6200 ext. 222 or editor@upandcomingweekly.com. The Big Read Continues Throughout the County by KELLIE TOMITA Presented by the Cumberland County Public Library and Information Center, The Big Read is your family’s free ticket to book discussions, movie showings, art competitions and more! The Big Read spotlights The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter, a novel written by Carson McCullers and set in a Georgia mill town during the Depression Era. Over the course of a year, the story’s characters encounter diffi cult challenges and fi nd solace in John Singer, who is deaf and mute. Whether quiet or roaring, deliberate or reckless, the fi ve voices of The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter unite in a common cry of isolation and hope. Cumberland County is one of 268 communities nationwide participating in The Big Read 2010. The program is an initiative of the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) and is designed to restore reading to the center of American culture. Not only does The Big Read encourage reading, but through creative programming, it also provides a chance for us to explore what life was like for people during The Great Depression. It is through book discussions, music, art, history and even dance that we gain a better understanding of the social and economic circumstances of that time. The library’s Web site: www.Cumberland.lib.nc.us has all the information you need about programs offered not only through our system, but also through community partners. We also invite you to become a fan on Facebook. Upcoming programs include: • Pieces of the Heart: An Art Quilt Exhibit. Come see how fabric, art, imagination and literature combine in a fascinating exhibit of local quilters, who have created fabric interpretations of the themes found in The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter. April 10 & 11, all day, Headquarters Library. • Depression-Era Kitchens: A master gardener will explain how to start your own vegetable garden, which were a necessity for most families during The Great Depression. April 10, 3 p.m., Spring Lake Branch. • Swing Your Partner! The Pope Promenaders perform square dancing 10 UCW APRIL 7-13, 2010 demonstrations and teach some basic square dancing calls. April 11, 3 p.m., North Regional Branch Library. • The Big Read at the Movies: This coming-of-age fi lm based on The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter is about alienation and love. It stars Alan Arkin and Sondra Locke, two fundamentally lonely people who fi nd solace in themselves as they reach out to each other. April 12, 6:30 p.m., East Regional Branch. • Evans Metropolitan Church: Learn about E.M.C. as a sanctuary of hope for our community during the Depression. Presented by Dr. Annette Billie, church archivist. Fort Bragg Throckmorton Library, April 14, Noon. For information, call 396-3523. • Afternoon Tea: Children of all ages are invited to a 1930s afternoon tea to enjoy games and activities. April 16, 3 p.m., Hope Mills Branch. Registration is required by calling 425-8455. • 1930s Decade Soiree: Teens ages 12-18 are invited to a soiree featuring life in the 1930s, highlighting music and fashion and playing trivia from The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter. April 20, 6:30 p.m., Cliffdale Regional Branch. • Connecting to Carson McCullers: Learn about this Southern author’s contribution to social awareness through artifacts from her life and examples of her infl uence upon others. March 27 - May 30, Museum of the Cape Fear, 801 Arsenal Ave. For information, call 486-1330. *Programming is subject to change, please consult the library’s Web site or call your nearest branch for the most current information. We would like to thank our sponsors: The Friends of the Library, The Fayetteville Observer, Up & Coming Weekly, 96.5 FM The Drive and KISS 107.7 FM. The NEA presents The Big Read in partnership with the Institute of Museum and Library Services and in cooperation with Arts Midwest. KELLIE TOMITA, Contributing Writer. COMMENTS? 484-6200 ext. 222 or editor@upandcomingweekly.com. WWW.UPANDCOMINGWEEKLY.COM

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