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Playing it by the (comic) book
Hunter River resident thrilled to bring the character
of Lucy Van Pelt to life in a school of the arts show in Alberta
The Guardian, PEI
Growing up on P.E.I., Carmen Belanger loved reading Peanuts, the comic strip
by Charles Schulz, each Saturday in the colour comic section of The Guardian.
She liked being an audience to the way the iconic characters interacted with each
other in their daily life, learning lessons and teaching each other.
Fast forward to the last month of 2009 when the roles were reversed as she delighted
audiences in her role as the character of Lucy Van Pelt for Rosebud School of the
Arts’ production of You’re A Good Man, Charlie Brown: The Broadway Musical.
“The show is based on a whole bunch of comic strips from Charlie Brown’s life.
The director put the clips in such an order they represented a day in the life of the
character,” says the second-year student, who landed a lead role in her theatrical debut,
as well as worked on set and lighting design.
In the show, there were classic scenes of Charlie Brown visiting Lucy at the psychiatrist’s
booth for advice after being forgotten on Valentine’s Day and Schroeder playing the
piano while Lucy tries to flirt with him.
Making the cartoon frames jump from the page to the stage took some extra consideration.
“The set consisted of four huge panels that resembled a comic strip. So whenever we
did a scene we stayed within one box. The panels were black and white and the costumes
were big and bright-coloured, so when we built the set on the long and narrow stage and
placed the costumed actors in front it really gave the illusion of a comic strip,” she says.
For Belanger, the challenge of working within narrow confines also extended into her role
as Lucy Van Pelt.
“At first, I felt it was impossible to fill her shoes because people have known about Lucy
for years. I wanted to meet the expectations of the audience members. I also wanted to
keep the integrity of the author so I couldn’t take liberties (with her character) because of
what was expected,” she says.
But after researching the cranky cartoon diva, she put her fears away and had fun with it.
“I liked the extreme parts of her character. She has a lot of happy moments, angry moments
and she’s able to switch her mood incredibly fast.
“For me, the hardest part of playing Lucy was constantly putting Charlie Brown down. It
was sad, but at the same time it was fun to bring out the bully in me,” she says, with a laugh.
Belanger nailed the character, says director Mark Lewandowski.
"Carmen threw herself into the role with a sense of abandonment. There were times
where she would be doing funny things and we'd be killing ourselves laughing.
“At one point, Lucy is taking a survey, asking people how crabby they think she really is.
And everybody is cringing because they expect to be punched at any time.
“But of course, she's being the most professional survey taker possible, although every
once and a while she snaps, to everyone’s delight. Carmen is a scream,” he says, adding
the family show, which ran from Nov. 27 to Dec. 19 and attracted large audiences, was a
milestone for the school.
“You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown marks the first Broadway musical done by the students.
In the past, the acting program has focused on creating a wide variety of shows ranging from
Shakespeare to contemporary and even Greek tragedies. Now the pendulum has swung
to the light-hearted comedy of You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown,” Lewandowski says.
It’s also the first theatrical role for the Hunter River native who worked as rehearsal stage
manager and box office staff at Victoria Playhouse last summer.
“My journey to theatre school has been one of discovery. It started out with the desire to
become a set designer and an interest in acting.
“After being accepted in both programs at Rosebud School of the Arts last fall, I chose
acting,” says Belanger who will be in the school’s production of The Keeper at the Rosebud
Studio Stage April 15-30 and in a main stage production of Oliver!, May 28 to Aug. 29.
Belanger credits her early exposure to theatre at the Confederation Centre of the Arts,
Harbourfront Theatre and Victoria Playhouse, as well as her former teachers at Bluefield
High School, for putting her on this career path.
“I love to tell stories. It’s an amazing medium of communication. I’m also passionate
about theatre. That’s why I decided to give acting a shot,” says Belanger.
Fast Facts
Up close and personal with Carmen Belanger
Career facts: Graduated from Bluefield High School in 2007. That fall she moved to Montreal,
travelled to Peru with Global Vision International and taught in an elementary school for
several months. For the past two years she has been studying theatre at Rosebud School
of the Arts in Rosebud, Alta.
Favourite colour: Green.
Favourite television shows: Sex and the City, Seinfeld.
Favourite play: Hedda Gabler by Ibsen.
Five things to take to a desert island: A Cyndi Lauper CD, a book to read, a plant to talk to, candles, ketchup chips.
Parents: Daughter of Martin and Christine Belanger, Hunter River
Created by: PRWIZARD -- Last updated:Jan 23, 2010
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