Posted 6/27/01 From Shakespeare to Schulz; NBACT gears up for new season The North Branch Area Community Theatre will be entertaining audiences of all ages with two diverse productions. Shakespeareís comic love story, ìA Midsummer Nightís Dreamî will be performed from July 27-29, and the warm-hearted musical, ìYouíre a Good Man, Charlie Brownî is scheduled for the weekend of Aug. 17. Composed in the late 1500s, ìA Midsummer Nightís Dreamî is one of Shakespeareís early comedies. The play contains lyrical expressions of lighter Shakespearean themes including love, dreams and the creative imagination. Midsummerís main characters are two couples whose romantic cross-purposes are complicated further when they enter into the fairyland woods presided over by the King and Queen of the fairies. While in the woods, the love of all four characters is ëredirectedí by the mischievous Puck and his magic love potion. At the same time, another set of characters, four unschooled tradesmen, go into the enchanted woods to rehearse a play and stumble into the midst of a full-blown love mix-up. Amanda Petefish-Schrag will direct the NBACT production of ìA Midsummer Nightís Dream.î Having directed last seasonís ìOur Townî and ìOklahoma,î Petefish-Schrag is no stranger to the theatre. The University of Minnesota-Morris graduate has a degree in Theatre Arts and performed major roles in nine college productions. Charles Schulz once brought his Peanuts characters to life in his wildly popular comic strip; now NBACT hopes to do the same thing on the local stage. ìYouíre a Good Man, Charlie Brownî is the simple and light-hearted tale of the lives of the Peanuts gang, including Charlie Brown, Linus, Sally, Schroeder, Peppermint Patty, Marcie and, of course, Snoopy. This play is being produced almost exclusively by high school students and young adults. John Keating, a senior at Perpich Center for Arts Education, is co-director. Keating has been involved in NBACT and North Branch High School productions since 1994. Danielle Wilkerson, assistant director, is a NBHS junior. Wilkerson has performed in many NBACT productions, including last winterís ìSnow White and the Seven Dwarfs.î North Branch High School senior Angela Comstock is the stage manager for this production. Comstock has assisted back stage in numerous theatre and musical productions. Cay Gjertson and Cindy Nelson are the only two adults overseeing this production. Gjertson is a relative newcomer to NBACT but promises an immediate impact. She will be co-directing with Jon Keating and is also a producer for ìA Midsummer Nightís Dream.î Cindy Nelson, producer, has been involved in theatre for a number of years and is on the NBACT Board of Directors. ìYouíre a Good Man, Charlie Brownî promises to be a showcase of North Branchís talented youth as well as to entertain and warm the hearts of all those who attend. Midsummer Nightís Dream performance dates and times are: Friday and Saturday, July 27-28 at 7 p.m., and 2 p.m. on Sunday, July 29. Charlie Brown performances are slated for Friday, Aug. 17 at 7 p.m.; Saturday, Aug. 18 at 2 and 7 p.m., and Sunday, Aug. 19 at 2 p.m. All performances will be held at the North Branch High School Auditorium. Tickets will be on sale in advance for each production, for $6, at Nelsonís Market. The North Branch Area Community Theatre was formed in 1988 as a non-profit organization dedicated to the advancement of arts in our community. ©Post Review