Audition Sides and Character Breakdown Seeking Actors ages 10-18 for the following roles
CHARLIE BROWN- The everyman; with ever changing moods; both befriended and ostracized by all; a loser-yet-leader who is often depressed but rises out of every downfall with shining hope and determination. Personality-wise, he is gentle, insecure, and lovable. Charlie Brown possesses significant determination and hope but frequently fails because of his insecurities, outside interference, or plain bad luck. While he can be smart, he over-thinks things
SNOOPY - (male or female) Charlie Brown’s pet beagle. A genuinely happy dog; full of energy, imagination and sass; known for his “happy dance” and his numerous alter-egos. Snoopy is very popular in the neighborhood. A physical, more than speaking, role.
LUCY - Linus’s older sister; bossy and a know-it-all, but very smart and a natural leader; has a crush on Schroeder; is ready to be older than her age; interests include psychiatry and real estate. Most of the comic strips she appears in show her threatening, complaining and/or taunting. She is easy to anger when she does not get what she wants. Occasionally, she is shown doing something selfless and caring to others when she is calmer, especially to Linus, the keyword being occasionally.
LINUS- Charlie Brown’s blanket-toting best friend; Sally’s love interest; the most insecure but the smartest of all the characters; an intellectual, a philosopher, a theologian.
SALLY - The youngest of the group; Charlie Brown’s little sister who has a crush on Linus; is adorable and spunky but often overreacts to situations.
SCHROEDER - A piano prodigy (this will be mimed); Lucy’s love interest; admirer of Beethoven; Charlie Brown’s second best friend after Linus.
PIG PEN - Being constantly dirty is a trait that "Pig-Pen" is best known for. When he takes a deep breath (to sing, for example), the dust rises briefly around him. He sometimes refers to the cloud that surrounds him with pride as the dust of ancient civilizations. He cannot seem to rid himself of the dust for more than the briefest of periods—indeed, in spite of his best efforts, it appears that he cannot stay clean. Despite this, everyone loves Pig-Pen for his big heart.
FREIDA - Frieda is very proud of her "naturally curly hair". She manages to bring up the topic of her hair in every conversation, which is shown to annoy the people around her. This self-love about her hair leads people to believe that she is rather vain. In turn, Frieda believes the other girls are jealous of her hair and becomes disappointed when a girl says otherwise. Frieda also believes people expect more from her because she has naturally curly hair. Nevertheless, enough people in the neighborhood like her that she got thirty valentines one year.
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VIOLET - Lucy and Patty’s best friend; a mean and snobby girl. Violet tends to be a bit of a snob, oftentimes being very self-conscious of her appearance and status.
PATTY - Not to be confused with Peppermint Patty. Best friend to Lucy and Violet; sometimes bullies the others. As the only female in the strip's earliest days, Patty was often portrayed as a sort of "mother-hen" character who looks out for the younger characters; however, she would also set the tone for the strong female characters that would later appear in the Peanuts universe.
SHERMY - A friend of Charlie Brown’s. Very dry; bemoans that he has to play a shepherd in the play every year. Shermy began as one of the strip's main characters, being one of only three child characters who appeared in Peanuts when it started publication.
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CHARLIE BROWN AUDITION SIDE
This side is for CHARLIE BROWN only. All other characters will be read by a reader in the room.
CHARLIE BROWN Hello in there! Rats! Nobody sent me a Christmas card today. I almost wish there weren’t a holiday season. I know nobody likes me. Why do we have to have a holiday season to emphasize it? Thanks for the Christmas card, Violet.
VIOLET I didn’t send you a Christmas card, Charlie Brown.
CHARLIE BROWN Don’t you know sarcasm when you hear it?
SALLY I’ve been looking for you, big brother. Will you please write a letter to Santa Claus for me?
CHARLIE BROWN Well, I don’t have much time. I’m supposed to get down to the school auditorium and direct the Christmas play.
SALLY You write it and I’ll tell you what I want to say.
CHARLIE BROWN Okay, shoot.
SALLY Dear Santa Claus, how’ve you been? Did you have a nice summer? How is your wife? I have been extra good this year, so I have a long list of presents that I want.
CHARLIE BROWN Oh, brother.
SALLY Please note the size and color of each item and send as many as possible. If it seems too complicated, make it easy on yourself. Just send money. How about tens and twenties?
CHARLIE BROWN Tens and twenties? Oh, even my baby sister! Good grief. Everything I do turns into a disaster. I guess I really don’t know what Christmas is all about. Isn’t there anyone who knows what Christmas is all about?
END
SALLY AUDITION SIDE This side is for SALLY only. Charlie Brown will be read by a reader in the room.
SALLY I’ve been looking for you, big brother. Will you please write a letter to Santa Claus for me?
CHARLIE BROWN Well, I don’t have much time. I’m supposed to get down to the school auditorium and direct the Christmas play.
SALLY You write it and I’ll tell you what I want to say.
CHARLIE BROWN Okay, shoot.
SALLY Dear Santa Claus, how’ve you been? Did you have a nice summer? How is your wife? I have been extra good this year, so I have a long list of presents that I want.
CHARLIE BROWN Oh, brother.
SALLY Please note the size and color of each item and send as many as possible. If it seems too complicated, make it easy on yourself. Just send money. How about tens and twenties?
CHARLIE BROWN Tens and twenties? Oh, even my baby sister!
SALLY All I want is what I have coming to me. All I want is my fair share.
END
LINUS AUDITION SIDE This side is for LINUS only.
LINUS Sure, Charlie Brown. I can tell you what Christmas is all about.
Lights, please!
And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them, and they were sore afraid. And the angel said unto them, “Fear not: for, behold, I bring you tidings of great joy, which will be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you. Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.” And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.”
That’s what Christmas is all about, Charlie Brown.
END
SNOOPY AUDITION SIDE This side is for SNOOPY only. Lucy will be read by a reader in the room.
LUCY (to SNOOPY) Snoopy, you’ll have to be all the animals in our play. Can you be a sheep?
SNOOPY (assumes a sheep like position) Baaaaaaa!
LUCY How about a cow?
SNOOPY (assumes a cow like position) Mooooo!
LUCY How about a penguin?
(SNOOPY waddles around the stage as a penguin making penguin noises)
Yes, he’s even a good penguin.
(SNOOPY then starts to move around the stage turning into all sorts of animals and making a rukkus around LUCY)
No, no, no! (SNOOPY mimics LUCY throughout her declaration) You’ve got to take direction! You’ve got to have discipline! You’ve got to have respect for your director!
(LUCY catches SNOOPY in the act)
I ought to slug you!
(SNOOPY then musters up all his energy and kisses LUCY right on the cheek)
Ugh! I’ve been kissed by a dog! I have dog germs! Get hot water! Get some...get some disinfectant! Get some iodine!
SNOOPY Aagh!
END
LUCY AUDITION SIDE This side is for LUCY only. Other characters will be read by a reader in the room.
LUCY What kind of Christmas music is that?
SCHROEDER Beethoven Christmas music.
LUCY What has Beethoven got to do with Christmas? Everyone talks about how great Beethoven was. Beethoven wasn’t so great.
SCHROEDER What do you mean Beethoven wasn’t so great?
LUCY He never got his picture on bubble gum cards, did he? Have you ever seen his picture on a bubble gum card? Hmm? How can you say someone is great who’s never had his picture on bubble gum cards?
SCHROEDER Good grief.
LUCY Say, by the way, can you play “Jingle Bells”?
No, no. I mean “Jingle Bells.” You know, deck them halls and all that stuff.
No, no. You don’t get it at all. I mean “Jingle Bells.” You know, Santa Claus and ho, ho, ho and mistletoe and presents to pretty girls.
(shouts) THAT’S IT!
CHARLIE BROWN We’re back!
VIOLET Boy, are you stupid, Charlie Brown.
PATTY What kind of a tree is that?
LUCY You were supposed to get a good tree. Can’t you even tell a good tree from a poor tree?
VIOLET I told you he’d goof it up. He’s not the kind you can depend on to do anything right.
PATTY You’re hopeless, Charlie Brown.
FRIEDA Completely hopeless.
CHARLIE BROWN Rats.
LUCY You’ve been dumb before, Charlie Brown. But this time, you really did it. What a tree!
END