King's Players to perform Dog Sees God
November 15, 2018
The King’s Players will be performing Dog Sees God: Confessions of a Teenage Blockhead November 22-24 at the Kenny Theatre. The play reimagines the Peanuts characters as high-schoolers, with events set in motion after the main character CB’s dog dies of rabies. The play tackles subjects including drug use, suicide, eating disorders, teen violence, rebellion and sexual identity.
The play is “a commentary of youth experience today in a way that’s easy to come to terms with, without making fun of it,” David Carlson, President of the King’s Players Theatre Company, says. Kelsey Joyce, the Vice President, adds “because it’s our beloved Peanuts characters, there’s an emotional effect which increases the social commentary of the play.”
The King’s Players decided to perform Dog Sees God at the suggestion of director John Knight, who had been introduced to the play, first performed in 2004, while taking a workshop at HB Beal Secondary School.
“I fell in love with the way they tackle these issues, how real the themes are and how students (in the audience) will be relating to these themes,” Carlson says.
“It’s one thing to entertain, but this play will give people something to think about after the show,” Joyce says.
The production of Dog Sees God includes seven cast members and approximately 15 students working in production, including working on costumers, props and set design.
Rehearsals are going well so far, Joyce says. She notes the cast and crew have become a very “close-knit group of people.” She attributes this to the themes discussed in the play, which has opened things up to deep conversations about homophobia, sexual orientation and even sexual abuse.
The King’s Players Theatre Company can trace its roots back to productions in the 1980s. Both Carlson and Joyce agree “it’s fun to be part of a legacy that’s been around since the ‘80s.” They tell of a first-year King’s student who recently joined the Company whose parents were a part of the King’s Players a generation ago. Carlson noted many parents in attendance at the recent Open House came up to her and talked about being a part of the King’s Players when they attended.
Tickets can be purchased through the Facebook Event Page or Eventbrite and will soon be available at King’s Connection. The next major production by the King’s Players Theatre Company will be the musical, Catch Me If You Can, performed January 30 – February 2, 2019.