A raunchy yet emotional twist on Charlie Brown, Northwestern’s theatre board Sit & Spin Productions’ rendition of “Dog Sees God: Confessions of a Teenage Blockhead” premiered at Shanley Hall this weekend.
The play, loosely based on characters from Charles M. Schulz’s Charlie Brown franchise, is not just a comedy. “Dog Sees God,” which originally premiered in 2004, tackles sensitive themes like fatphobia, homophobia, death and suicide.
Communication senior and director Ferdinand Moscat felt particularly compelled by the dichotomy of both light and heavy topics in the show.
“I’ve never read a play that could both shock and offend me but also console me,” Moscat said.
With some scenes that require trigger warnings, as well as the frequent use of a homophobic slur, it can be grave. Yet, scenes depicting house party dance sequences and silly hyperbolized scenes about high school gossip helped balance — or, perhaps disorient — the audience’s emotions.
In the less somber scenes, the audience chuckled when Van, played by Communication senior Danny Dollase, entered the stage, sporting a goofy attitude and firmly clutching a bong.
Weinberg senior and audience member Vikram Jallepalli said he was captivated by the show’s blend of comedic and serious themes.
“There are some comedic moments in a serious show, which I think really elevates the serious moments,” Jallepalli said.
Preserving almost all aspects of the original script, Moscat said he also allowed his creativity to soar as he made three unique adjustments.
First, the “Dog Sees God” script does not specify a time period or setting. In collaboration with the other designers, Moscat said he decided to set the play in Northern Florida during the 1990s. This directorial choice offered historical context to some aspects of the show, including the rampant homophobia.
Moscat also incorporated many musical elements into the show, flying beyond the pages of the 2004 script.
“There’s something so spellbinding about watching live music,” Moscat said.
The band, perched directly next to the stage, played renditions of popular ’90s songs between scenes, including Fiona Apple’s “Criminal” and The Cranberries’ “Dreams.”
He also said he changed lines that included ableist slurs. Ableism is not as central to the play as homophobia, so he decided to avoid the unnecessary harsh language altogether.
These serious themes aren’t foreign to Sit & Spin Productions though. The group’s mission, according to its website, is to embrace risky and unconventional topics. “Dog Sees God” specifically tackles the difficulty of discovering one’s sexuality and identity as told through the experiences of high schoolers like the main character CB, played by Communication senior Kieran Rowe.
Rowe said he hopes people leave with a new sense of interest and compassion for student theatre.
“I just hope people take away a lot of love and appreciation for all the artistic possibilities here at Northwestern,” Rowe said.
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