Sparks-Lee is directing ‘You’re a Good Man Charlie Brown’
When Jared Sparks-Lee was in the fourth grade, he played the part of Schroeder in the school production of “A Charlie Brown Christmas.”
“After that,” he said, “I was totally hooked on Charlie Brown and theater in general and have been participating in both ever since.”
Some of Sparks-Lee’s favorite parts as an actor were played in “Two by Two,” “Pride and Prejudice,” the Millennial Theater Project “South Pacific,” “Clyborn Park,” “IQ Hair Spray” and “You’re a Good Man Charlie Brown.”
In 2014 he moved into directing with “John Lennon and Me,” “Hell Cars,” “Rocky Horror Show” and “Laramie Project.”
“I was in rehearsals for ‘The Diary of Anne Frank’ at The Little Theatre when it was closed down because of COVID,” he said. “That was a terrible disappointment for all of us.”
A native of Canton who graduated from Perry High School, he received his BA in Psychology from Kent State University and his MA in Mental Health Counseling from Walsh University. He is currently employed by Intera Counseling in Green.
Sparks-Lee said, “I chose ‘You’re a Good Man Charlie Brown’ because it is the perfect wholesome and nostalgic musical for this area. We all need some levity in our lives, and this show provides it. The cast and crew have been incredible. It is one of my top directing experiences.”
Charlie Brown and the Peanuts gang have captivated pop culture worldwide. According to Playhouse Perspectives, creator Charles Schulz had the unparalleled ability to speak to the insecurities of both children and adults in as few as four frames in the comics. Schulz insisted on drawing and writing every single edition of “Peanuts” himself. He published a total of 17,897 comic strips, and over the course of its 50-year run, he only took a single vacation for his 75th birthday, the only time a rerun was ever published before his death.
Many “Peanuts” characters were inspired from his real life. Snoopy was based on his dog Spike, the little red-headed girl was an unrequited love who rejected him when he proposed and Snoopy’s military stories came from his experiences in the U.S. Army. His Armored Infantry Division helped liberate 30,000 survivors at the Dachau concentration camp in Germany.
Originally, Schulz named the comic strip “Li’l Folks,” but the publishing company feared copyright infringement due to other strips with similar names. They decided on the name of “Peanuts,” inspired by “The Howdy Doody Show,” which called its children’s audience the Peanut Gallery. The name soon gained fame and gave birth to Charlie Brown and his friends.
Tickets are now on sale for “Charlie Brown” and are $15 for adults and $10 for children and students. They may be purchased online at www.thelittletheatreonline.org, the box office of Kent State Tuscarawas Performing Arts Center or at the door. The show will run Fridays and Saturdays, Oct. 6, 7, 13, 14, 20 and 21 at 7:30 p.m. and Sundays, Oct. 8, 15 and 22 at 2:30 p.m.
It is sponsored by Kait, Andrew and Eliza Wilsterman.
Upcoming shows at the theater include “The Best Christmas Pageant Ever,” “Scotland Road,” “Tuck Everlasting,” “Being of Sound Mind,” “Dear Ruth,” “The Hunchback of Notre Dame” and “The Outsider.”
The theater is located at 466 Carrie Ave. NW in New Philadelphia.
