When I sit down for the opening night of the Undergraduate Theater Collective’s (UTC) production of “Dog Sees God: Confessions of a Teenage Blockhead”, the program cover, decorated with a picture of Snoopy and a red Solo cup, promises me an adaptation of the beloved “Peanuts” characters in high school. I then open to the first page of the program, where the content warnings are listed: “SUICIDE, BULLYING, EATING DISORDERS, LOSS, GRIEF, SEXUALITY, SUBSTANCE ABUSE, CHILD ABUSE, ABORTION, AND HOMOPHOBIA.” Good grief!
“Dog Sees God” could be best described as “Riverdale” meets “Euphoria” meets “Peanuts”, with all the implications that entails. We’re introduced to our protagonist, CB (the script’s serial-numbers-filed-off nickname for Charlie Brown) mourning over her dog, who was put down after he contracted rabies and killed the “little yellow bird” that he was friends with. All the Peanuts cast have grown up to be quite troubled, but the main conflict centers around CB’s tragic romance with Beethoven (who you may remember better as Schroeder), who is persecuted by her fellow students for being a lesbian.
Despite the unrepentant edginess of the script, “Dog Sees God” was a thoroughly enjoyable and entertaining theatrical experience. The director, Alyssa Allen ’24, made the smart decision to play up the campier potential of the play, making for many hilarious moments, while at the same time not detracting from the truly serious scenes. This production shifts effortlessly between the epic highs and lows of high school emotions, guided by a talented cast that played each role to perfection. I was amazed by each performer’s ability to play these more grown-up characters while still retaining the core of what we know and love about the “Peanuts” gang. Sasha Astrof ’24, who played CB’s sister (Sally—now a manic pixie Wiccan goth girl), was a particular standout in this regard, employing a voice and mannerisms that closely resemble that of Sally’s in the movies. I’m convinced she was born to play this role.
If there is any quibble to be had with this production, it would be the choice to gender-swap CB, Beethoven and Matt (Pigpen—now a repressed gay homophobic bully with OCD-like symptoms), who are all men in the original script, into women. While this idea pays off remarkably well in some instances, the fact that intended female characters are still attracted to the gender-swapped versions of these men muddies the logic. Thus, there are scenes like one where three girls discuss how gross and gay it was for CB and Beethoven to kiss in front of them … right after they had had a lesbian threesome themselves.
The actors take this change in stride, though, and use it as a springboard to explore themes unique to the experience of high school girls. Elise Andelman ’25, who plays Matt, deftly transforms lines written for a macho jock into something a feminine mean girl, a la Regina George, could realistically say, making for one of the most complex and interesting characters in the play. Kat Roberts ’25 very nearly steals the show, playing the talented but traumatized Beethoven with a heart-breaking intensity. There’s a moment towards the end where she lets out a particularly gut-wrenching scream, which haunted me long after I left the theater. Her ill-fated romance with CB, played with exquisite inner turmoil and depth by Izzie Hon-Anderson ’25, is at once sizzling with chemistry and incredibly emotionally moving.
“Dog Sees God” is also held back—through no fault of the highly competent cast and crew—by the outdatedness of the script. While sometimes the extreme darkness of the adaptation is successfully played for laughs (Van—AKA Linus—rolled up and smoked his blanket!), most of the time it comes off as cheap shock value at best. There are far too many jokes about eating disorders, Van’s sister (AKA Lucy) sets the Little Red-Haired Girl’s titular red hair on fire to cope with having gotten an abortion the day earlier, Van is implied to sexually assault CB’s sister (though it’s not entirely clear what happens), and two different bullies are explained to be so horrible due to their own repressed homosexuality. Most egregious of all, the harmful canard that school shooters wouldn’t kill people if only other students were nicer to them is repeated towards the end of the show by a character implied to be Charles Schultz himself. For a play ostensibly about the dangers of intolerance, it’s weirdly conservative.
This production is able to navigate these hurdles as best as they could, though. Chris Martin ’24, who plays the stoner Van, has excellent comedic chops, and successfully keeps this show from ever getting too depressing. Cierra Boutin ’24 and Samantha Landay ’27 bounce off each other wonderfully as airheaded mean girls Marcy (Marcie) and Tricia (Peppermint Patty), respectively. Boutin also gives a chilling yet hilarious performance as the unrepentant psychopath that is Van’s sister. The costuming is also incredibly fun, including several nods to the original “Peanuts” designs while also signaling the characters’ new personalities. Even the lighting design had a unique and spunky character to it, making for a thoroughly engaging experience.
Overall, “Dog Sees God” was an entirely enjoyable and moving experience that managed to transcend the limits of its script with the help of a consistently amazing cast and intelligent production decisions. It’s a wonderful cap to a strong year of productions from the UTC, so I look forward to what they have in store for us next fall!
