The Third Street Players production of “You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown” will bring a colorful cast of cartoon characters to life.

And the colorful set and costumes are director Sandy O’Brien’s favorite part of the production.

“I like working with the cartoon colors,” she said.

Recent high school graduate Kate Hodges said it will be easy for the audience to think of the comics when they watch the play.

“I love seeing the Peanuts characters brought to life,” she said.

“It’s easy to picture the comic strip when watching it, so I think people will enjoy imagining the comics in their head and seeing what’s on stage,” Hodges added.

Orson Ossman, another recent high school grad, said the play follows Charlie Brown’s adventures and misadventures.

Charles Schulz’s famous round-headed kid isn’t very good at sports, and Charlie Brown can’t even get a kite in the air. Good grief? Not really; he’s the star of the show.

“Other characters are all along for the ride,” Ossman said.

The actor said the audience will enjoy the lessons they can learn from the production.

“Even though he isn’t good at everything, he still has friends and really is happy despite all of his faults,” Ossman said.

The production of Charlie Brown is a bit of transition for the Third Street Players as they say goodbye to the high school grads.

“What I’ve tried to do when casting the show is have a blend — to pass the torch as they go off,” director O’Brien said.

Both Ossman and Hodges were part of the Whidbey Children’s Theater youth council when it was first formed. They played a large part in the creation of the Third Street

Players.

“When WCT became a non-profit they asked a few of the older kids who had been doing WCT plays for years and years to be on a youth council, to have a voice in the decisions that were made,” Hodges said. “And we thought it would be fun to do some shows that were a little bit more mature than what had typically been presented.”

The group of teen actors in The Third Street Players all have previous acting experience and each plays a large part in the production. They have “chores” on and off the set, and play a role in the decision-making process.

Ossman said the group of actors are all hardworking and dedicated, something that can be seen through their efforts.

Ossman, Hodges and Marissa Wilhelm are all experienced Third Street Players who are pursuing theater-related majors when they go to college.

They are thankful for their experience at children’s theater. Each of them said that the theater gave them a solid foundation for the future.

“It’s really been a great thing in my life,” Hodges said.

“WCT has given me so many opportunities to perform. Without them, it probably wouldn’t have been something I would pursue,” Wilhelm added.

Both young actors are planning to major in Theater at college. And Ossman said he has plans to attend film school.

O’Brien and others involved with the group are trying to give all of the young actors a strong foundation in theater. She said it is valuable experience for everyone, even if they don’t choose to pursue theater in the future.

“We’re trying to give them something for when they go off to college,” she said. “It’s amazing, they get quite the education for such a small area.”