Common Core Standard:
Determine an author’s point of view or purpose in a text and explain how it is conveyed in the text.
You’re A Good Man, Charlie Brown began in the 1960s as Clark Gesner began writing songs based on Charles Shulz’s comic strip, Peanuts. His songs were based on these famous characters and gained national attention. Originally, there never were plans to create a musical adaptation of You’re A Good Man, Charlie Brown, until Arthur Whitelaw successfully encouraged Charles Schulz to agree. The characters of Lucy, Linus, Snoopy, Charlie, Violet, Schroeder and Sally all come to life in You’re A Good Man Charlie Brown.
-(Gesner, Foreward)
Songs: Act 1 Act 2:
You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown My New Philosophy
Schroeder Team
Snoopy Glee Club rehearsal
My Blanket and Me Little Known Facts
The Kite Suppertime
The Doctor is In Happiness
Beethoven Day
Book Report
Act 1, Scene 1-BEFORE SCHOOL
Sally, Linus, Snoopy, Schroeder and Lucy begin by criticizing aspects of Charlie Brown’s character. They start to point out his positive characteristics, and call him a good man. Charlie Brown is happily woken up and looks outside his bedroom window to witness a wonderful day. He contemplates what his day may bring and gets a positive feeling from the weather being perfect with the sky so clear. His alarm clock rings and he realizes he is late. Snoopy leads a marching band of all the characters singing, You’re A Good Man Charlie Brown. They encircle him with thoughts of what makes him such a good man. They say Charlie Brown is kind and cheerful through the day. However, Charlie Brown questions what it means to be a good man.
Scene 2- SCHOOL
Charlie Brown realizes that lunchtime is the worst time of day because he is always lonely as he sits by himself every day. Charlie reflects on the idea that his sandwich exemplifies his loneliness, because psychiatrists say that people that eat peanut butter are lonely. While eating his peanut butter sandwich for lunch it comes to his attention that his crush, the little redheaded girl, is also sitting alone. His contemplation and over thinking is what ultimately leads to Charlie to never approaching the little redheaded girl. This ends with Charlie placing his lunch bag over his head because she looks at him. Violet, Sally and Lucy unexpectedly walk right past Charlie Brown without even paying attention towards him. This is what makes lunchtime such a horrible time of day for Charlie Brown because he is treated like he is invisible.
Scene 3- RECESS SCHROEDER
Schroeder is playing his piano in blissful peace while Lucy begins spurting out her feelings of emotions. These questions incorporate how Lucy would love to always marry a man who plays the piano. This makes Schroeder somewhat embarrassed as he finally ducks under his piano in shame of his personal dignity. Snoopy begins talking to Violet, Linus and Peppermint Patty about eating meals. Snoopy sniffs Lucy’s mug of root beer and she freaks out. Charlie Brown takes the blame for this because he did not teach Snoopy how to behave properly. Music begins as Schroeder states how Beethoven loved the country and how it gave him such inspiration. He contemplates on how Beethoven felt happiness from something as simple as nature. Schroeder believes Beethoven had a good life.
Scene 4- SNOOPY’S NAP TIME
Snoopy is lying on top of his doghouse while enjoying the view of the beautiful sky, and starts to think about his relationship with Charlie Brown and his friends. He dreams of how they all love him and tell him how great he is. Snoopy sings about how he can’t always be so happy and must become ferocious at times. He gets a little carried away and almost falls off of his doghouse.
Scene 5- AFTER SCHOOL
Charlie Brown thinks about his feelings of affection towards the little red-haired girl, as he contemplates going over to speak with her. Charlie Brown is interrupted when Lucy walks over and tells him that the little red-haired girl wants to hug and kiss him. This turns into a cruel joke as she eventually says it was an April fool’s joke. This just keeps lowering Charlie Browns personal self-esteem, and makes it harder for Charlie to feel like he is a good man. Lucy steals Linus’ blanket, and Linus chases her to get it back. Linus begins dancing with his blanket, while Lucy says how much of a little baby he looks like with his blanket. This does not upset or stop Linus as he says just how much of a childhood sanctuary the blanket can become. Linus sings and dances, and eventually everyone ends up dancing with blankets.
Sally is upset about the C grade she got on her coat hanger sculpture and argues with the teacher for a better grade. Charlie Brown begins playing with his kite but just can’t seem to get it in the air. Everyone else seems to have no problem except for him. The inner thoughts make Charlie a stronger person as he keeps telling himself motivating tips on how to use his kite. His repetition and positive thinking finally proves to be accurate as the kite finally takes flight, if only for a moment.
Scene 6- VALENTINES
Valentine’s Day arises and everyone seems very intent on the lovely holiday’s cards. Violet drops some of her Valentine’s cards and Charlie Brown thinks one is for him but that turns out wrong. This completely lowers his self-esteem and personal feelings. The contemplation of the little red-haired girl actually giving him a Valentine’s card stays in his mind. Charlie Brown ends up receiving less Valentine cards than everyone else and becomes more depressed from the holiday and respect from his friends.
Charlie Brown is depressed and walks over to Lucy’s “Psychiatrist” booth. Lucy and Charlie Brown begin to argue about the failures of life. Lucy expresses how boring it was to be around someone who is always negative. Charlie then realizes that Snoopy is the only one that enjoys him. This becomes more of an argument as Lucy says that Snoopy is not even a human, but she reminds Charlie Brown that he is unique. This ends with Charlie telling Lucy just how much he enjoys her advice and her answer is he owes her five cents.
Scene 7- GREAT THINKERS
Sally, Marcie and Peppermint Patty begin contemplating flavors or ice cream and decides on fudge marble. Snoopy examines his food bowls and wonders why he always eats out of the same bowl. Schroeder then is asked if piano players make a lot of money and replies by saying it is not about the money but the art.
Schroeder starts singing about how much he loves Beethoven. He tries to start a holiday on Beethoven’s birthday. All the kids join in the celebration with Schroeder.
Scene 8- HOMEWORK
Sally and Snoopy go rabbit chasing instead of doing homework. The contemplation of Charlie Brown not doing his homework starts to drive him insane. Procrastination becomes a problem when he does not want to do his homework. All the kids sing about procrastinating and not wanting to do their book report on Peter Rabbit. Charlie brown wallows around the house, justifying his procrastination.
ACT 2
Scene 1- SNOOPY’S IMAGINATION
Snoopy imagines he is in World War I flying over France, hoping to one day find the infamous Red Baron plane.
Scene 2- A LITTLE LATER
Sally expresses her new philosophy to Linus about her grades going from a letter D to letter A. She creates a philosophy best described in her words “Well, why are you telling me?” She sings about her carefree and easy life while the other children try to refute some of her points.
Scene 3- BASEBALL GAME
Charlie Brown, Lucy, Peppermint Patty, Schroeder, Sally, Linus and Violet are all playing a baseball game together. All the characters except Charlie Brown feel that he is not able to be a playing manager, but a bench manager. This really lowers his self-esteem as they go as far as to say there may be a million-to-one chance of winning and Charlie Brown says at least there is a billion-to-one chance.
Everyones hopes are high as Charlie Brown is up to bat, with two men on base and two outs. The entire baseball championship is up to Charlie Brown. During the final pitch the cute little red-haired girl distracts him causing them to lose the championship.
Scene 4- CRABBINESS SURVEY
Schroeder calls Lucy a crabby person. Lucy asks Charlie Brown to take a survey that ultimately involves him telling her she is a great person, and deserves to be the president of their club or civic organization. Then Lucy asks Linus to take his survey and Linus tells her she is crabby. Lucy gets upset and feels there is no reason to be alive. Linus tells Lucy he loves her and she bursts into tears.
Scene 5- GLEE CLUB REHEARSAL
Schroeder tries to get everyone to start rehearsing. Schroeder, Sally, Lucy, Linus and Charlie Brown begin to rehearse, but Lucy is mad about her missing pencil and realizes that Linus has it. As they sing Home on the Range, Lucy and Linus battle for the pencil. Sally gets involved, and Linus calls her an “enigma”. Eventually everyone storms off the stage except for Snoopy and Schroeder, who are still rehearsing.
Scene 6- LITTLE KNOWN FACTS
Sally expresses her feelings that a dog is lowest on a family chain. Patty shows off her book report speech about the seasons. Peppermint Patty begins explaining her book report about Fir Trees, Elm Trees and how fire hydrants grow directly out of the ground. Everything in Peppermint Patty’s book report was incorrect and ultimately upsets Marcie so badly that she stomps off.
Scene 7- SUPPERTIME
Snoopy is hungry and starts complaining. For Snoopy, suppertime is his favorite time of day, especially as Charlie Brown returns home from school to feed him daily. It becomes apparent that food is the main reason for Snoopy’s happiness, and he makes a huge production about it.
Scene 8- Happiness
As Lucy and Schroeder look up at the sky, they cannot contemplate if what they see is a star or a plane. Charlie Brown is happy as he tells them he found the little red-haired girl’s pencil, and saw that she chews on it. This makes him realize she is not perfect just like him.
All the characters begin to express their emotions of happiness through the simple, joyous tasks of every day life. Everyone sings about these little things, and how sharing them together is cause for joy. Lucy says “You’re a good man, Charlie Brown” in conclusion.
THE END
Work Cited
Gesner, Clark. You’re a Good Man Charlie Brown. New York: Random House, 1967.
“Utah Shakespeare Festival”. Synopsis: You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown. Web. 6 April, 2015 <http://www.bard.org/education/studyguides/CharlieBrown/brownsyn.html#.vsm-T4pHanM>.
Created by: Brian Skube
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