Acting for 'Peanuts'

As young actresses with the Reagle Players Youth Theatre, Jesse Sinerate and Megan Bergeron joked that someday they would be running the show.

Four years ago that is exactly what happened.

"It's really funny because we used to joke around and say one day we're going to grow up and take over the summer program," Sinerate said. "Now here we are doing this."

Choreographer Sinerate and musical director Bergeron are in the middle of preparing for tomorrow's performance of "You're A Good Man, Charlie Brown," Clark Gesner's musical adaptation of Charles M. Schulz's comic strip "Peanuts."

Sinerate is the drama teacher at McDevitt Middle School and Bergeron teaches music at a school in Everett.

The show is part of a three-week summer course for students ages 11 through 16. "This is a very young group this year," Bergeron said. "There's been a lot of work with changing voices ... we've made a lot of changes in the score to fit their voices better."

The program - Act, Sing, Dance - started at Waltham Boys & Girls Club and was eventually moved to McDevitt Middle School as part of the summer enrichment program for public school students. Some students work on stage acting and others behind the scenes handling lights and production.

"I hope that they have fun and that they are doing something worthwhile during their summer vacation," Sinerate said. "I hope they are getting the whole experience of theater onstage and backstage ... I'm also hoping they're bonding with kids they might not ever be with outside of this program."

The cast of 20 rehearsed on Friday the baseball-themed number, "T-E-A-M."

"I enjoy that it's a small group of kids. We all click and have fun together," said Jen Bourque, 15, who plays Peppermint Patty. "With the plays during the school year, it's a huge cast and kind of hard to deal with at times."

Justin Cincotta, 13, plays Linus.

"I've heard of this play before because my brother was in it a few years ago so he helped me out learning my lines and songs," he said.

Cincotta said that tomorrow's audience should be excited.

"People can expect a group of kids who are very talented and having fun," he said.

This year the cast started rehearsing July 7. The program runs up until the final performance on Thursday. During the three-week course, students met 9 a.m. until 1 p.m., five days a week.

"The kids get to learn about acting, singing and dancing and all of what happens on the stage and behind the scenes," Sinerate said. "The end product is a full scale musical."

Sinerate said the show is family-friendly.

"We just love the message of it," Sinerate said. "Happiness is the simple things in life. You often forget that in your adult life."

The musical centers around simple moments in the life of a young boy named Charlie Brown, his friends and his dog Snoopy.

Having once been in a similar position as the young actors in the program, Sinerate and Bergeron both agree they have a better understanding of how to connect.

"It's funny because we understand the process," Bergeron said.

"We also know what it's like to be in their shoes," Sinerate added.

"You're A Good Man, Charlie Brown" opens tomorrow at 10 a.m. at McDevitt Middle School. Tickets are $5.

The show will run again Wednesday at 7 p.m. The cost for this show is $5 for children over five, students and seniors. $7 for adults. Admission for children under 5 is free. All tickets will be sold at the door.

Jeff Gilbride can be reached at 781-398-8005 or at jgilbrid@cnc.com