Dog Sees God: Confessions of a Teenage Blockhead
Encyclopedia
Dog Sees God: Confessions of a Teenage Blockhead is a play written by Bert V. Royal
Bert V. Royal
Bert V. Royal, Jr. is an American screenwriter, playwright and former casting director. He is best known as the writer of the play Dog Sees God: Confessions of a Teenage Blockhead, which premiered Off-Broadway in 2005, and the 2010 teen film Easy A.-Early life:Royal grew up in Green Cove Springs,...

.

An "unauthorized parody
Parody
A parody , in current usage, is an imitative work created to mock, comment on, or trivialise an original work, its subject, author, style, or some other target, by means of humorous, satiric or ironic imitation...

," the play imagines characters from the popular comic strip Peanuts
Peanuts
Peanuts is a syndicated daily and Sunday American comic strip written and illustrated by Charles M. Schulz, which ran from October 2, 1950, to February 13, 2000, continuing in reruns afterward...

as teenagers. Drug use, suicide, eating disorders, teen violence, rebellion, sexual relations and identity are among the issues covered in this drama.

Characters

Whether by artistic design or to avoid rights infringement, names from the comic strip have been changed for those appearing in the play.
  • CB (Charlie Brown
    Charlie Brown
    Charles "Charlie" Brown is the protagonist in the comic strip Peanuts by Charles M. Schulz.Charlie Brown and his creator have a common connection in that they are both the sons of barbers, but whereas Schulz's work is described as the "most shining example of the American success story", Charlie...

    ) is the main character in this play. He is intensely saddened over the death of his dog.
  • CB's Sister (Sally
    Sally Brown
    Sally Brown is the younger sister of Charlie Brown in the comic strip Peanuts by Charles Schulz. She was first mentioned in early 1959 and throughout a long series of strips before her first appearance in August 1959.-Appearance:...

    ) has gone goth, at least for the duration of the play. It is mentioned that, like her character basis, she changes her philosophy on life often.
  • Van (Linus
    Linus van Pelt
    Linus van Pelt is a character in Charles M. Schulz's comic strip Peanuts. The best friend of Charlie Brown, Linus is also the younger brother of Lucy van Pelt and older brother of Rerun van Pelt. He first appeared on September 19, 1952; however, he was not mentioned by name until three days later....

    ), always the philosopher in childhood, is now a pothead with a worldview to match.
  • Matt (Pig-Pen
    Pig-Pen
    "Pig-Pen" is a character in the comic strip Peanuts by Charles M. Schulz. He is a young boy who is, except on very rare occasions, very dirty.-History:"Pig-Pen" is a nickname, invariably written in quotation marks in the strip...

    ) is a pathological germophobe whose dirtiness has been internalized - he's sex-obsessed and homophobic.
  • Beethoven (Schroeder
    Schroeder (Peanuts)
    Schroeder is a fictional character in the long-running comic strip Peanuts, created by Charles M. Schulz. He is distinguished by his precocious skill at playing the toy piano, as well as by his love of classical music and the composer Ludwig van Beethoven in particular...

    ) became the school outcast prior to events in the play when it was revealed that he was sexually abused by his father.
  • Tricia York (Peppermint Patty
    Peppermint Patty
    Patricia "Peppermint Patty" Reichardt is a fictional character featured in Charles M. Schulz's comic strip Peanuts. A freckle-faced auburn/brunette, she is one of a small group in the strip who lives across town from Charlie Brown and his school friends...

    ), a party girl.
  • Marcy (Marcie
    Marcie (Peanuts)
    Marcie is a bespectacled fictional character featured in Charles M. Schulz's comic strip Peanuts. She serves as comedic foil and best friend to tomboy Peppermint Patty, plays a supporting role in some of Snoopy's heroic fantasies, and displays a romantic interest in Charlie Brown, who seems to love...

    ), a party girl and Tricia York's sidekick.
  • Van's Sister (Lucy
    Lucy van Pelt
    Lucille "Lucy" van Pelt is a fictional character in the syndicated comic strip :Peanuts, written and drawn by Charles Schulz. She is the main bully and the older sister of Linus and Rerun. Lucy is a crabby and cynical eight-year old girl, and often bullies the other characters in the strip,...

    ) has been institutionalized for setting the Little Red-Haired Girl
    Little Red-Haired Girl
    The Little Red-Haired Girl is an unseen character in the Peanuts comic strip by Charles M. Schulz, and is a symbol of unrequited love. While never seen in the strip, she appears onscreen in several television specials. Her name is sometimes cited in these as Heather. She serves as the object of...

    's hair on fire.


Pen Pal - Does not appear in person, but has a key part in the play.

Characters mentioned but not appearing: Franklin
Franklin (Peanuts)
Franklin is a character in the long-running comic strip Peanuts, created by Charles M. Schulz. Introduced on July 31, 1968, Franklin was the first African-American character in the strip. He goes to school with Peppermint Patty and Marcie. In his first story arc, he met Charlie Brown when they were...

, Frieda, Little Red-Haired Girl
Little Red-Haired Girl
The Little Red-Haired Girl is an unseen character in the Peanuts comic strip by Charles M. Schulz, and is a symbol of unrequited love. While never seen in the strip, she appears onscreen in several television specials. Her name is sometimes cited in these as Heather. She serves as the object of...

, Rerun van Pelt
Rerun van Pelt
Rerun van Pelt is Linus and Lucy's younger brother in Charles M. Schulz's comic strip Peanuts.-Introduction:Rerun started as a minor character in the Peanuts universe, only becoming a main character in the last decade of the comic strip...

, Snoopy
Snoopy
Snoopy is an fictional character in the long-running comic strip Peanuts, by Charles M. Schulz. He is Charlie Brown's pet beagle. Snoopy began his life in the strip as a fairly conventional dog, but eventually evolved into perhaps the strip's most dynamic character—and among the most recognizable...

, Woodstock
Woodstock (Peanuts)
Woodstock is a fictional character in Charles M. Schulz's comic strip Peanuts. He is Snoopy's closest friend and, after Snoopy, the most recognized non-human in the strip.-History:...


Synopsis

CB and CB's sister have a funeral for their dog, who recently contracted rabies and was put down after killing "a little yellow bird" (implied to be Woodstock) and nearly biting CB. Unfortunately, the funeral ends in failure as they argue over who should say a prayer for him. CB then goes to see his pothead friend Van, asking where people go when they die. Van, who claims to be Buddhist, says that spirits either dissolve away or get reincarnated
Reincarnation
Reincarnation best describes the concept where the soul or spirit, after the death of the body, is believed to return to live in a new human body, or, in some traditions, either as a human being, animal or plant...

. The next day at school CB asks his friend Matt where we go when we die. Matt gives him a more detailed explanation, proposing that when we die we return to a vagina, similar to being born, although the vagina does not belong to our mother. Beethoven walks by and Matt calls him a fag
Fag
Fag may refer to:* Fag, a colloquialism for cigarette* Fag, a junior boy who acts or acted as servant to a senior boy at a British independent school* Fag, or faggot , an American English slur for a homosexual or effeminate man....

.

At lunch Marcy and Tricia tell their friends about an upcoming party at Marcy's house. CB goes to Beethoven's practice room to listen to his music. CB then monologues over his dead dog which irritates Beethoven that in return, Beethoven tells CB about how he can't go through his day without someone bullying him in some sort, and tells CB that "messing around with me" means teasing and other sorts. CB makes a truce with Beethoven to reestablish their friendship. CB sits next to Beethoven while he plays, and then CB kisses Beethoven.

At the party, Matt calls Beethoven a fag again. CB comes to Beethoven's defense and kisses him again, this time in front of everyone. Outside, Beethoven demands an explanation of what happened. CB says he wanted to do that and in return, Beethoven kisses CB. A few days later, Matt, Tricia, Marcy and Van eat lunch together, and are all stunned at what happened. Matt vows to make Beethoven pay for "messing with [his] best friend's head". CB goes to visit Van's sister, who was institutionalized for setting the Little Red-Haired Girl's hair on fire. CB tells her the whole story, also revealing that he and Beethoven had sex after the party.

While Beethoven is practicing, Matt comes in and harasses him for being in love with CB. Matt tells him to stay away from CB, or else. Beethoven says no and calls him by his old nickname, Pigpen. This angers Matt, who slams the piano top, breaking Beethoven's hands. Later on, the group has a talk about Beethoven, who committed suicide (Matt, meanwhile, was suspended from school for a week). CB is angered by this and berates them for not being sorry for him all these years. Later on, CB gets a letter from his pen pal. In the letter he tells him that he must keep strong, even in rough times. The letter mentions a boy "who plays piano just like [CB's] friend" moved in near the pen pal, and mentions that "he's had a tough life, but things are better for him, now.", and that he found a dog who likes to sing along to the piano (like CB's dog did, alluding that Beethoven is now caring for CB's dog in the afterlife). CB cries over the letter, as it meant so much to his friend, dog, and himself. The letter is signed 'CS', an allusion to Peanuts creator Charles M. Schulz
Charles M. Schulz
Charles Monroe "Sparky" Schulz was an American cartoonist, whose comic strip Peanuts proved one of the most popular and influential in the history of the medium, and is still widely reprinted on a daily basis.-Early life and education:Born in Minneapolis, Minnesota, Schulz grew up in Saint Paul...

.

Intellectual property issues

Prominently advertised as a parody
Parody
A parody , in current usage, is an imitative work created to mock, comment on, or trivialise an original work, its subject, author, style, or some other target, by means of humorous, satiric or ironic imitation...

 and including language indicating that the production has not been authorized or approved by United Features Syndicate or the estate of Charles M. Schulz in all materials, Dog Sees God has used First Amendment
First Amendment to the United States Constitution
The First Amendment to the United States Constitution is part of the Bill of Rights. The amendment prohibits the making of any law respecting an establishment of religion, impeding the free exercise of religion, abridging the freedom of speech, infringing on the freedom of the press, interfering...

 principles to avoid legal entanglement.

Development history

Dog Sees God was first presented as a reading on May 3, 2004, at the Barrow Street Theatre
Barrow Street Theatre
Barrow Street Theatre is an Off Broadway theatre venue located in New York City's historic Greenwich House. Previously home to Drama Dept. the space was leased to Barrow Street Theatre in 2003 and has been home to long-running Off-Broadway hits, Bug by Tracy Letts and Orson's Shadow by Austin...

. It was directed by Anthony Barrile
Anthony Barrile
Anthony Barrile is an actor, musician, writer, and native New Yorker who has starred in many film and stage productions. He is well known to New York audiences for his memorable performance as 'Cousin Kevin', the twisted lout in the original Broadway production of the Tony Award winning 'The Who's...

 and produced by Sorrel Tomlinson. The cast was as follows:
  • Alexander Chaplin
    Alexander Chaplin
    Alexander Chaplin is an American actor. Chaplin's most prominent role was that of speechwriter James Hobert on the sitcom Spin City...

     as CB
  • Karen DiConcetto as CB's Sister
  • Daniel Franzese
    Daniel Franzese
    Daniel Franzese is an American actor. He has worked in film, TV and theater.Franzese was born in Bensonhurst, Brooklyn, New York, the son of Denise and Ralph "R. J." Franzese, a lounge singer...

     as Van
  • Marcus Chait as Matt
  • Daniel Letterle
    Daniel Letterle
    Daniel Letterle is an American actor who portrayed the lead roles in The Mostly Unfabulous Social Life of Ethan Green and Camp.- Biography :...

     as Beethoven
  • Mary Catherine Garrison as Tricia
  • Melissa Picarello as Marcy
  • Jennifer Esposito
    Jennifer Esposito
    Jennifer Esposito is an American actress, dancer and model, known for her appearances in films such as I Still Know What You Did Last Summer, Summer of Sam and Crash and in television series such as Spin City, The Looney Tunes Show and Samantha Who?.-Early life:Esposito, an Italian-American, was...

     as Van's Sister


Dog Sees God had its world premiere at the 2004 New York International Fringe Festival
New York International Fringe Festival
The New York International Fringe Festival, or FringeNYC, is a Fringe theater festival and one of the largest multi-arts events in North America. It takes place over the course of two weeks every August, spread across several neighborhoods in downtown Manhattan, notably the Lower East Side, the...

. It was presented at the SoHo Playhouse. It was directed by Susan W. Lovell and produced by Sorrel Tomilinson/File 14 Productions. The cast was as follows:
  • Michael Gladis
    Michael Gladis
    Michael Gladis is an American actor. He is best known for his role as Paul Kinsey on the television series Mad Men, where he appeared in the series' first three seasons. Prior to Mad Men, he played Eugene Rossi in four episodes of Third Watch...

     as CB
  • Karen DiConcetto as CB's Sister
  • Tate Ellington
    Tate Ellington
    Tate Ellington is an American actor from Mississippi. He is best known for playing the role of Aidan Hall, best friend of Tyler Hawkins in the 2010 film Remember Me. Ellington also had a starring role as Oliver Hunt in The Elephant King movie...

     as Van
  • Jay Sullivan as Matt
  • Benjamin Schrader as Beethoven
  • Bridget Barkan as Tricia
  • Stelianie Tekmitchov as Marcy
  • Melissa Picarello as Van's Sister
  • Understudies: Clay Black, Andrew Fleischer


The production was extended for two weeks and Daniel Franzese
Daniel Franzese
Daniel Franzese is an American actor. He has worked in film, TV and theater.Franzese was born in Bensonhurst, Brooklyn, New York, the son of Denise and Ralph "R. J." Franzese, a lounge singer...

 assumed the role of Van

Dog Sees God had another reading on May 9, 2005, at the Westside Theater. It was directed by Trip Cullman and produced by DeDe Harris and Sorrel Tomlinson. The cast was as follows:
  • Patrick Fugit
    Patrick Fugit
    Patrick Raymond Fugit is an American actor best known for his debut performance in the lead role of Cameron Crowe's film Almost Famous.-Career:...

     as CB
  • Alison Pill
    Alison Pill
    Alison Courtney Pill is a Canadian actress best known from her roles in Milk, Scott Pilgrim vs. the World and Midnight in Paris.-Life and career:...

     as CB's Sister
  • John Gallagher Jr. as Van
  • Mark Webber
    Mark Webber (actor)
    Mark Allen Webber is an American actor, screenwriter and director known for his roles in the films Snow Day and Scott Pilgrim vs. the World.-Personal life:...

     as Matt
  • Logan Marshall Green as Beethoven
  • Michelle Trachtenberg
    Michelle Trachtenberg
    Michelle Christine Trachtenberg is an American actress. She is best known for her roles as Dawn Summers in the television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer and as Georgina Sparks in Gossip Girl...

     as Tricia
  • Anna Paquin
    Anna Paquin
    Anna Helene Paquin is a Canadian-born New Zealand actress. Paquin's first critically successful film was The Piano, for which she won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress in 1994 at the age of 11 – the second youngest winner in history...

     as Marcy
  • Carly Jibson as Van's Sister


Dog Sees God received its Off-Broadway premiere by Martian Entertainment and Dede Harris at the Century Center for the Performing Arts, opening on December 15, 2005. Presented by Bert V. Royal
Bert V. Royal
Bert V. Royal, Jr. is an American screenwriter, playwright and former casting director. He is best known as the writer of the play Dog Sees God: Confessions of a Teenage Blockhead, which premiered Off-Broadway in 2005, and the 2010 teen film Easy A.-Early life:Royal grew up in Green Cove Springs,...

, the play was directed by the Trip Cullman; the set design was by David Korins; the costume design was by Jenny Mannis; the lighting design was by Brian MacDevitt
Brian MacDevitt
Brian MacDevitt is a lighting designer for theatrical productions. He has worked extensively on Broadway and Off Broadway, as well as touring, Regional theatre, and Industrial productions....

; the sound design was by Darron L. West; the general manager was Roy Gabay; the production stage manager was Lori Ann Zepp; the assistant stage manager was Tammy Scozzafava; and the production manager was Randall Etheredge.

The cast was as follows.
  • Eddie Kaye Thomas
    Eddie Kaye Thomas
    Eddie Kaye Thomas is an American film, television, and stage actor who rose to prominence in 1999 as Paul Finch in the American Pie film series.-Early life:Thomas was born in Staten Island, NY...

     as CB
  • America Ferrera
    America Ferrera
    America Georgina Ferrera is an American actress, best known for playing the lead role in the television comedy series Ugly Betty...

     as CB's Sister
  • Logan Marshall-Green
    Logan Marshall-Green
    Logan Marshall-Green is an American actor best known for his roles in Dark Blue, The O.C., 24, and Traveler.-Early life:...

     as Beethoven
  • Ian Somerhalder
    Ian Somerhalder
    Ian Joseph Somerhalder is an American model, actor and producer, best known for playing Boone Carlyle in the TV drama Lost and Damon Salvatore in the TV drama The Vampire Diaries.-Early life:...

     as Matt
  • Keith Nobbs
    Keith Nobbs
    Keith Nobbs is an American stage, television, and film actor perhaps best known for his portrayal of Joey Ice Cream in the TV series The Black Donnellys....

     as Van
  • Kelli Garner
    Kelli Garner
    Kelli Brianne Garner is an American actress. Her credits include Man of the House, The Aviator, Bully and Thumbsucker. She appeared in two Green Day music videos "Jesus of Suburbia" and the unreleased ""...

     as Tricia
  • Ari Graynor
    Ari Graynor
    Ariel Geltman Graynor, better known as Ari Graynor, is an American actress.-Life and career:Graynor was born in Boston, Massachusetts. She was raised in a Jewish family and attended Buckingham Browne & Nichols, a private school in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and Trinity College, in Hartford,...

     as Marcy
  • Eliza Dushku
    Eliza Dushku
    Eliza Patricia Dushku is an American actress known for her television roles, including recurring appearances as Faith on Buffy the Vampire Slayer and its spinoff series Angel. She starred in two Fox series, Tru Calling and Dollhouse...

     as Van's Sister

When Dushku
Dushku
Dushku is an Albanian surname.* Eliza Dushku , American actress known for playing Faith in the Buffy the Vampire Slayer universe, starring in the television series Tru Calling, Dollhouse, and many movies...

 (of Buffy the Vampire Slayer fame) quit in February 2006 along with several other members of the cast, attempts were made to tie their leaving to a lawsuit between the producers. Charges of abuse against one of the producers were later dismissed as "plainly devoid of merit and undertaken as a vindictive campaign to harass".

The Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...

 premiere of the play was presented by the Havok Theatre Company and ran from June 7 - July 20, 2008 at the Hudson Backstage Theatre.

The Los Angeles cast was as follows.
  • Joseph Porter as CB
  • Andrea Bowen
    Andrea Bowen
    Andrea Lauren Bowen is an American actress who is best known for playing Julie Mayer on Desperate Housewives . She has won two SAG Awards.-Biography:...

     as CB's Sister
  • Jaden Leigh as Van
  • Wyatt Fenner as Beethoven
  • Christine Lakin
    Christine Lakin
    Christine Helen Lakin is an American actress. She is best known for her role as Alicia "Al" Lambert on the 1990s ABC/CBS situation comedy Step by Step and as Joan of Arc in Showtime's Reefer Madness...

     as Tricia
  • Lauren Robyne as Marcy
  • Nick Ballard as Matt
  • Megan McNulty as Van's Sister


Christine Lakin won an LA Weekly Theatre Award for Best Female Comedy Performance.

The UK Premiere Production took place at Taurus Bar on Manchester's famous Canal Street
Canal Street
Canal Street may refer to:* Canal Street , England, UK* Canal Street, New Orleans, Louisiana, USA* Canal Street , New York City, New York, USA...

 in March 2008 thanks to author Bert V Royal helping them secure the UK rights which at that time did not exist (After this production the UK rights were set up). The show was a sell out and quickly transferred to the larger venue The Lowry
The Lowry
The Lowry is a theatre and gallery complex situated on Pier 8 at Salford Quays, in Salford, Greater Manchester, England. It is named after the early-20th century painter, L. S. Lowry, known for his paintings of industrial scenes in North West England...

 in January 2009. The production gained rave reviews and now looks set to move in to London for a limited run in 2011/2012. The play was produced by Award Nominated Vertigo Theatre Productions and directed by Craig Hepworth.

The UK Cast was as follows
  • Rick Carter as CB
  • Craig Hepworth as Beethoven
  • Abby Simmons as CB's Sister
  • Greg Kelly as Matt
  • Emma Salt as Marcy
  • Adele Stanhope as Tricia
  • Stuart Reeve as Van
  • Emma Willcox as Van's Sister


For The Lowry
The Lowry
The Lowry is a theatre and gallery complex situated on Pier 8 at Salford Quays, in Salford, Greater Manchester, England. It is named after the early-20th century painter, L. S. Lowry, known for his paintings of industrial scenes in North West England...

 production Greg Kelly and Abby Simmons were replaced with Mike Gates and Louise allen due to scheduling conflicts. Dog Sees God will get a 3rd outing by Vertigo, this time in London in 2012.
The Australian Premiere of the play was performed in Newcastle, NSW by 1st year Performing Arts students at Newcastle TAFE's Acting School. The play's season ran in December 2011 at the YPT, Hamilton. Directed by Actor, Playwright and teacher Dr. David Brown.

The Australian Cast included
  • Rafael Diaz as CB
  • Cordelia Hamilton-Russell as CB's Sister
  • Gabriella Stevens as Van
  • Rachel Sara Bailey as Van's Sister
  • BJ Kennedy and Sam Davies as Matt
  • Bridget Glennie as Marcy
  • Hilary Park as Tricia
  • Evan Tancred as Beethoven

Awards

In 2004 it was one of the breakout hits at the New York International Fringe Festival, winning the Excellence Award for Best Overall Production, as well as Theatermania's Play Award of 2004, the GLAAD Media Award for Best Off-Off-Broadway
Off-Off-Broadway
Off-Off-Broadway theatrical productions in New York City are those in theatres that are smaller than Broadway and Off-Broadway theatres. Off-Off-Broadway theaters are often defined as theaters that have fewer than 100 seats, though the term can be used for any show in the New York City area that...

 production, Broadway.com's 2006 Audience Award for Favorite Off-Broadway
Off-Broadway
Off-Broadway theater is a term for a professional venue in New York City with a seating capacity between 100 and 499, and for a specific production of a play, musical or revue that appears in such a venue, and which adheres to related trade union and other contracts...

 Production and the 2006 HX Award for Best Play.

External links

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