Happiness is ... the Statesboro Youth Theater's production of "You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown" at the Emma Kelly Theater at 7 p.m. both Friday and Saturday evening.

    Director Mical Whitaker said that, in terms of theater, 'Charlie Brown' is at the heart of what he loves — simple, direct and engaging.

    "I don't like repeating scripts, but 'Charlie Brown' is just so enduring and timeless," he said. "It's a force of nature and so much a part of the fabric of who we are as Americans. The show encompasses human emotions that we all feel and which everyone can relate to."

    Whitaker is especially sentimental about this production because it is his last show as director of the Statesboro Youth Theater.

    "This production marks a full circle for my career," he said. "The first show I directed at the Averitt Center was 'Charlie Brown,' and I could not have chosen a better play to finish this second career that I have been blessed to have."

    Although retiring, Whitaker insists he will remain active in the theater community. 

    In the show, Charlie Brown, one of the most beloved characters of all time, searches for the true meaning of being a "good man" and finds some unexpected answers from his friends along the way. Charlie and the gang invite the audience to experience this delightfully charming musical that takes you through trials of love, baseball championships, frustrating book reports and kite-eating trees.

    Kian Devine plays Charlie Brown and, according to Whitaker, is "absolutely brilliant."  Devine also played Charlie Bates in the Averitt Center's 2014 production of "Oliver!"

    Fresh off the stage from his starring role as Jerome de Becque in "South Pacific," Xavier Deckard plays the blanket-toting Linus. Performing the part of Schroeder is Ian McLendon, who joined Devine on stage as Oliver in "Oliver!"

    Playing the two female leads are Kaitlyn Ritchie, as Lucy, and Emily Lloyd, performing the role of Sally. While Ritchie is no stranger to the stage, having starred in "The Jungle Book," this will be Lloyd's first performance at the Emma Kelly Theater.

    Based on the characters created by cartoonist Charles M. Schulz, "You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown" offers memorable tunes such as "Happiness" and "My Blanket and Me."

            Tickets are $10 per person. To reserve your tickets, call the Averitt Center for the Arts at (912) 212-2787 during box office hours or purchase online at www.averittcenterforthearts.org. Box office hours are Tuesday–Friday from noon to 5:30 p.m.