By David Gordon

Everybody’s favorite dog is dead. Rabies was the cause; the dog, crazed, ripped apart his best friend, a small yellow bird, in his little, red dog house. The dog’s master is named C.B. The dog’s name, never mentioned, is Snoopy. His death begins Bert V. Royal’s “Dog Sees God: Confessions of a Teenage Blockhead,” the University’s Spectrum Players’ spring 2009 mainstage production, directed by senior Casey Killoran.

Royal’s rumination on what happens when the “Peanuts” gang become teenagers premiered off-Broadway in 2005, with a cast that included a slew of “before they were famous” celebrities: Eddie Kaye Thomas as C.B., (Charlie Brown), America Ferrara as C.B.’s Sister, (Sally), Ian Somerhaulder as Van,”(Linus) and Eliza Dushku as Van’s Sister, (Lucy). The play is not approved by the estate of “Peanuts” creator Charles M. Schultz and that must be noted in the program.

It is a play that deals with issues far different, much more grown up, than the comics and cartoons. Chuck isn’t trying to figure out how to make his kite fly. He’s trying to figure out whether or not he’s gay.

“For the show, we started watching old “Peanuts” cartoons and it was funny because I remembered stuff from when I was little [I thought I forgot],” said junior Steve Spera, who plays C.B. “It’s all about growing up. We can all relate to the material.”

Killoran chose this play for that precise reason. She admits to being unfamiliar with many “new” plays, but she saw the off-Broadway production and eventually realized that, with a large cast and relatable issues, “Dog Sees God” would be the perfect choice for Spectrum.

“If you’re an American kid,” says Amanda McIntyre, “you know the ‘Peanuts’ cartoons, but you won’t be discouraged if you don’t.” McIntyre plays Van’s Sister, in a mental institution after burning off a little redheaded girl’s hair. (Cast members point out that in the cartoons, Lucy always wanted to burn her brother’s blanket.)

If you go back and look at the cartoons, the cast says, you’ll find that some things totally make sense. “Like Linus being a philosophizing pothead,” adds John Vincent Bahrenburg, who plays Matt, the grown up Pigpen, described by Bahrenburg as “the total opposite” of his comic persona.

But, Killoran makes sure to mention, “You don’t have to know the ‘Peanuts’ cartoons to enjoy the play.”