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Playing it by the (comic) book
Hunter River resident thrilled to bring the character
of Lucy Van Pelt to life in a school of the arts show in Alberta
The Guardian, PEI
Growing up on P.E.I., Carmen Belanger loved reading Peanuts, the comic strip
by Charles Schulz, each Saturday in the colour comic section of The Guardian.
She liked being an audience to the way the iconic characters interacted with each
other in their daily life, learning lessons and teaching each other.
Fast forward to the last month of 2009 when the roles were reversed as she delighted
audiences in her role as the character of Lucy Van Pelt for Rosebud School of the
Arts’ production of You’re A Good Man, Charlie Brown: The Broadway Musical.
“The show is based on a whole bunch of comic strips from Charlie Brown’s life.
The director put the clips in such an order they represented a day in the life of the
character,” says the second-year student, who landed a lead role in her theatrical debut,
as well as worked on set and lighting design.
In the show, there were classic scenes of Charlie Brown visiting Lucy at the psychiatrist’s
booth for advice after being forgotten on Valentine’s Day and Schroeder playing the
piano while Lucy tries to flirt with him.
Making the cartoon frames jump from the page to the stage took some extra consideration.
“The set consisted of four huge panels that resembled a comic strip. So whenever we
did a scene we stayed within one box. The panels were black and white and the costumes
were big and bright-coloured, so when we built the set on the long and narrow stage and
placed the costumed actors in front it really gave the illusion of a comic strip,” she says.
For Belanger, the challenge of working within narrow confines also extended into her role
as Lucy Van Pelt.
“At first, I felt it was impossible to fill her shoes because people have known about Lucy
for years. I wanted to meet the expectations of the audience members. I also wanted to
keep the integrity of the author so I couldn’t take liberties (with her character) because of
what was expected,” she says.
But after researching the cranky cartoon diva, she put her fears away and had fun with it.
“I liked the extreme parts of her character. She has a lot of happy moments, angry moments
and she’s able to switch her mood incredibly fast.
“For me, the hardest part of playing Lucy was constantly putting Charlie Brown down. It
was sad, but at the same time it was fun to bring out the bully in me,” she says, with a laugh.
Belanger nailed the character, says director Mark Lewandowski.
"Carmen threw herself into the role with a sense of abandonment. There were times
where she would be doing funny things and we'd be killing ourselves laughing.
“At one point, Lucy is taking a survey, asking people how crabby they think she really is.
And everybody is cringing because they expect to be punched at any time.
“But of course, she's being the most professional survey taker possible, although every
once and a while she snaps, to everyone’s delight. Carmen is a scream,” he says, adding
the family show, which ran from Nov. 27 to Dec. 19 and attracted large audiences, was a
milestone for the school.
“You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown marks the first Broadway musical done by the students.
In the past, the acting program has focused on creating a wide variety of shows ranging from
Shakespeare to contemporary and even Greek tragedies. Now the pendulum has swung
to the light-hearted comedy of You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown,” Lewandowski says.
It’s also the first theatrical role for the Hunter River native who worked as rehearsal stage
manager and box office staff at Victoria Playhouse last summer.
“My journey to theatre school has been one of discovery. It started out with the desire to
become a set designer and an interest in acting.
“After being accepted in both programs at Rosebud School of the Arts last fall, I chose
acting,” says Belanger who will be in the school’s production of The Keeper at the Rosebud
Studio Stage April 15-30 and in a main stage production of Oliver!, May 28 to Aug. 29.
Belanger credits her early exposure to theatre at the Confederation Centre of the Arts,
Harbourfront Theatre and Victoria Playhouse, as well as her former teachers at Bluefield
High School, for putting her on this career path.
“I love to tell stories. It’s an amazing medium of communication. I’m also passionate
about theatre. That’s why I decided to give acting a shot,” says Belanger.
Fast Facts
Up close and personal with Carmen Belanger
Career facts: Graduated from Bluefield High School in 2007. That fall she moved to Montreal,
travelled to Peru with Global Vision International and taught in an elementary school for
several months. For the past two years she has been studying theatre at Rosebud School
of the Arts in Rosebud, Alta.
Favourite colour: Green.
Favourite television shows: Sex and the City, Seinfeld.
Favourite play: Hedda Gabler by Ibsen.
Five things to take to a desert island: A Cyndi Lauper CD, a book to read, a plant to talk to, candles, ketchup chips.
Parents: Daughter of Martin and Christine Belanger, Hunter River09-08 News & Releases
Charlie Brown & friends are coming to Rosebud
Rosebud, Alberta – You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown is a typical day in the life of
Charlie Brown who brings his rollercoaster lifestyle and his classic friends to Rosebud
Theatre November 27. You will see your favourites perform on stage including Schroeder
and Lucy at the piano, Charlie and Lucy at the Psychiatry booth, Linus with his dusty
blanket, Snoopy with his supper dish and the whole gang at the baseball game.
You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown is an energetic musical comedy that
provides entertainment for the whole family.
You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown with music and lyrics by Clark Gesner, is based on characters
created by renowned cartoonist Charles Schultz. The production is by Rosebud School of the Arts
(RSA) Mentorship Programme and runs Friday November 27 until December 19 at the Rosebud Studio
Stage.
Read Full Story
Graduates Receive Highest Honour from Rosebud School of Arts
Graduates Receive Highest Honour
from Rosebud School of Arts
Record enrollment bodes well for RSA and next generation of professional theatre artists
Rosebud, Alberta (October 2009) – After the completion of a four-year program of
hard work and dedicated study, three new graduates of Rosebud School of the Arts
were honoured at the recent Recognize Outstanding Student Achievements (ROSAs)
convocation and awards ceremony in Rosebud, Alberta.
Education Director, Maki Van Dyke proudly presented the school’s highest
credential – the Fellow of Rosebud School of the Arts (FRSA) – to three new graduates
who joined the RSA guild.
The three FRSA recipients, their major area of study and home town are as
follows: Belinda Jackson (Technical Theatre) Morden, Manitoba; Kelsey Krogman
(Acting) Red Deer, Alberta; and Sammantha-Dawn Reinhardt (Acting) Wainwright, Alberta.
Belinda Jackson
Kelsey Krogman
Sammantha-Dawn Reinhardt
Rosebud, Alberta – Twenty-five years ago, Allen Desnoyers, a Rosebud Theatre instructor and one
of the theatre’s original founders had a dream. He wanted to turn the hamlet’s abandoned community
hall into a theatre to produce his two-act play When the Sun Meets the Earth. He achieved his
goal and Rosebud Theatre was born. Beginning April 11, Desnoyers unveils a new version of his
Rosebud classic for the Studio Stage. Desnoyer’s evocative, moving, and often-humorous drama
features students from the Rosebud School of the Arts (RSA) Mentorship Programme, and includes
a stunning original score crafted by Desnoyers himself.
Kelsey Krogman
Set in the dust that choked the Alberta prairies in the 1930s, When the Sun Meets the Earth delves
into the heart of the extreme challenges faced by farmers, family, and the pursuit of adventure.
We watch, as the Stockman family tries to get by, in a time that was very unkind to people living
on the prairies. John Stockman, played by veteran Rosebud actor Nathan Schmidt, must painfully
endure the rapid growth of his young daughter, the departure of his son for the rosy promise of the
big city, and the agony of seeing his farm being blown away a little more each day.
The revival of the first When the Sun Meets the Earth play done on the Rosebud Studio stage,
promises to deliver an adventure of the heart that audiences have come to experience over the
past 25 years. Director Paul F. Muir, comments on the play, “The opportunity to produce a new
version of this play in Rosebud so many years after the original, and to be directing it, is a real
honour for me. It's a story full of pathos and heart, and actually asks some very important
questions. It's not a musical, but rather a play with music. Allen has even written some new
music for this production. There's really something for everyone to enjoy in the play. I think people
will be surprised and touched personally.”
RSA produces two shows each year at the Rosebud Studio Stage as part of its course curriculum.
Schmidt, a graduate of Rosebud School of the Arts, chose to play a key role in When the Sun
Meets the Earth, because “this show is exactly what is great about Rosebud and the work we
do. Company actors working directly with the students in shows. It’s a great experience for
everyone involved!” Audiences will remember Schmidt from such roles as Daddy Sherry in The
Kite, and Chekov in The Good Doctor.
RSA students not only act in the play, they are also responsible for key elements of production
including costumes, set, lights, and props. When the Sun Meets the Earth features RSA
students Kendra Hutchinson, Justin Born, Jonathan Kobewka, Dan Derksen, Sammantha
Isaman, Kelsey Krogman, Scott Schreiner and alumna Nathan Schmidt, as well as musicians
Angus Wilson and Aaron Krogman.
When the Sun Meets the Earth plays at the Rosebud Studio Stage at 4:30 pm, Wednesdays
to Saturdays from April 11 – May 3. Tickets are $12 in advance, $15 at the door, and can be
purchased by calling 1-800-267-7553.
Located an hour’s drive northeast of Calgary, in the picturesque community of Rosebud,
Alberta, Rosebud School of the Arts is a post-secondary educational institution that offers
conservatory training in theatre and music to students from across Canada,
many of whom perform in Opera House productions by Rosebud Theatre.
www.rosebudtheatre.com or www.rosebudschoolofthearts.com Box Office: 1-800-267-7553
-30-
For more information, photos or interviews with Director Paul F. Muir, please contact Neil Bousquet directly
Mr. Bob Davis, Executive Director, Rosebud Theatre (403) 677-2350 bobd@rosebudtheatre.com
Mr. Neil Bousquet, PR Wizard, Rosebud Theatre (403) 256-8834 neil.bousquet@prwizard.ca
Created by: PRWIZARD -- Last updated:Sep 01, 2010
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