36 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY DECEMBER 4-10, 2025 www.montereycountynow.com ONSTAGE For many Americans, Charlie Brown is as much a part of the holiday season as pecan pie. The annual re-watching of A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving or A Charlie Brown Christmas from the 1960s and ’70s is less about recalling the details of the story than it is a sentimental ritual. In many ways, Charlie Brown represents the long tradition of everyman, introducing a character who, as opposed to the traditional hero of the story, represents all mankind. America seems to bond with Charlie Brown over the struggle and anxiety of everyday life, and Charlie Brown’s motivation to overcome it. That’s the relationship to which he owes his spectacular career, from a comic strip character in Peanuts, created by Charles M. Schulz in 1950, to a holiday icon. At its peak, the Peanuts comic strip reached 355 million readers all over the world. The Apollo 10 command module and lunar module were named “Charlie Brown” and “Snoopy.” The characters’ adventures influenced generations of artists, as attested by the 2019 book The Peanuts Papers: Writers and Cartoonists on Charlie Brown, Snoopy & the Gang, and the Meaning of Life. “As a child growing up in the ’70s, Christmas was not complete without our family gathering around the TV to watch the animated Christmas special,” shares Heather Kirk, executive director of ARIEL Theatrical, which is showing A Charlie Brown Christmas until mid-December. “My brothers and sisters and I memorized every line and yet we never grew tired of this sweet story.” Kirk says the actors and crew learn and reflect on the story. “We’re excited to bring this magic to kids of all ages on ARIEL’s stage,” she adds. But who was the guy behind Charlie Brown and countless other beloved characters from Peanuts? Just as Charlie Brown is one of the great American archetypes of a “lovable loser,” Schulz is the man who made his American dream come true. This WWII vet created one of the most popular American comic strips of the 20th century, “out of the lives of a group of children, a dog and a bird,” as Greg McKevitt wrote for the BBC in 2024. He managed to deliver clever commentary on American society for half a century. A Charlie Brown Christmas is performed 7pm Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays, and 2pm Saturdays, Dec. 5-13. ARIEL Theatrical, 320 Main St., Salinas. $14; $12/ children ages 3-12; $13/seniors, students, military. (831) 775-0976, arieltheatrical.org. KYLEE SULLIVAN Brown Nation Americans, including ARIEL Theatrical, love to include the Peanuts gang in their holiday traditions. By Agata Popęda Linus (Sam Powers, left) explains the true meaning of Christmas to Charlie Brown (Tim Mueller). www.sunsetcenter.org San Carlos St at Ninth Ave • Carmel-by-the-Sea, CA 831.620.2048 CRESCENT BAY ENTERTAINMENT PRESENTS Sunday, March 8, 2026 at 7pm ON SALE NOW
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