Sheila Butler is the director for the Monroe County Civic Theater's production of You're a Good Man Charlie Brown. She's a veteran with the Monroe County Civic. "I started about five years ago with costuming for a production of Julius Caesar. Since then I've done a little of everything, but I think that I really like directing the best. It's a treat to work on a show and put all the pieces together."
Putting The Pieces Together …The Cast
The current production is a good example of Butler putting those pieces together. "Our cast ranges from local actors to Indiana University students to a couple of high school players and even one middle-schooler, who plays Lucy."
…The Set
Putting those pieces together creatively also extends to the set. "In the past," Butler says, "we've designed and built sets, but this time we're sharing. We're renting a set from a company in Chicago-and You're a Good Man Charlie Brown is such a popular shows that a company in New Jersey will be coming to pick it up for their production when we finish."
…The Show
Butler is enthusiastic about her cast. "They're the best I've had. We've got some very good singers. Musical direction is by Eric Anderson, Jr. And there's more dancing in this production that some that I've seen. Georgana Dent is our choreographer."
Dent is very pleased to be working with Monroe County Civic, in part because of its inclusive policies. "It's great to be able to encourage people to be in theater and to act."
Time May Not Heal All, But It Helps With Stage Fright
On a light note, Butler mentions that when she was younger she had a lot of trouble with stage fright. "When I meet an actor with the same problem, I'll tell them that it pretty much it went away when I got into my forties."