Absolutely Filthy (an unauthorized PEANUTS parody)

My overall impression

I wish there was a fourth option and I would give this show a “mixed” review instead of a negative. I should say that there were a majority of the audience that clearly liked or loved this production as at least half stood for the curtain call. But the woman near me and about 4 or 5 other people left at intermission. I consider doing so as well. This show has gotten a lot of praise including positive press reviews. While I occasionally found the funny and strangely moving, I’m not at all convinced that the reason I was moved was half because of the work of Charles Schultz. After all, those iconic characters have already created a baseline of emotion that the writer could tap into with a lot less work than if he was building characters from scratch. Moreover, I found the whole enterprise – acting, directing, writing – too often forced and facile. So, I was constantly experiencing alternating emotions of annoyance and exasperation followed by genuine pathos and appreciation. Perhaps if I hadn’t gone in expecting great things (and I also can’t discount how hot and uncomfortable the theatre was this afternoon), I would be feeling more generous, still not thinking the show worked but that it was worth 3 1/2 hours of my time (2 hours watching / 90 minutes driving). As it is, I think I should have walked out too at intermission, and cut my losses.