For this year’s fall production of You’re A Good Man Charlie Brown, the theatre company is working alongside a few younger kids to expand the size of their ensemble to make the show more lively and give kids the opportunity to get a preview of what it’s like in the program for future reference.

“It’s nice to have younger kids interested in theatre of all ages and genders,” junior Ciara Carnes said. “They really bring a new life and energy into the program that we thrive off of to get us inspired.”

The children meet every Thursday at the stage from 4:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. to practice choreography and go over what scenes they’ll be in. The parents watch as a student guides their child through the production and assists them with any props or instruction they have. The kids will play the roles of the other students in Charlie Brown’s school.

“I understand the choreography,” sixth grader Aspen Gootee said. “There’s some things I have trouble understanding, but it’s pretty fun.”

Some of the kids are the little siblings of students in the advanced theatre program who have already participated in the production of Suessical.

“I think that having the little ones in any kind of a performance forum makes them stronger actors and people as a whole,” director Greta Peterson said. “It gives them confidence as young adults in the future and allows for them to be set up for if they have the desire to go into any other trade after their high school years.”