Dog Sees God’ finishes run in Theatre Outback
Amanda Smith
Stemming from the Peanuts cartoon, the Charlie Brown characters came to life at Mesa Community College in a raw, yet comical way.
A boy starts questioning life after death when his dog dies from rabies. His burnt-out and inebriated friends and family give little peace of mind as he goes through a roller coaster of emotions throughout the story, rediscovering his identity.
Diondre Price, theater arts major who played the lead role of the boy CB, had an immediate liking for the play. “I specifically auditioned for this part. I saw a production of Dog Sees God in Utah and I was moved.”
The script was written by Bert V. Royal eight years ago and is still fresh in the theater world.
Director of many plays produced in Maricopa County, James Rio was approached by Theater Outback and after reading it, Rio was excited to be on board. “I saw the heart in it.”
The play addressed many struggles teenagers and young adults face from rebellion to suicide to eating disorders to sexual identity and bullying. “Certainly the subject matter effects everyone.” Rio said.
As rough as the material was, the characters were well represented as the story lead to a surprising and moving end.
Price expressed the closeness he had to CB because of the similarities they shared. “It was a good experience for me because it showed me the growth that I have made and how my life did turn for the better. I really did like it. This show has been amazing and I really appreciate being apart of it.”
