Charlie Brown comes out in "Dog Sees God"

What would happen to Charlie Brown and his friends if they grew up?

When CB's dog dies from rabies, CB begins to question the existence of an afterlife. His best friend is too burnt out to provide any coherent speculation; his sister has gone goth; his ex-girlfriend has recently been institutionalized; and his other friends are too inebriated to give him any sort of solace. But a chance meeting with an artistic kid, the target of this group's bullying, offers CB peace of mind and sets in motion a friendship that will push teen angst to the very limits. Drug use, suicide, eating disorders, teen violence, rebellion and sexual identity collide and careen toward an ending that's both haunting and hopeful.

Christina Ashby directs a local cast in the play New York Magazine called "funny and endearing" when it premiered at The New York International Fringe Festival in 2004.

Dog Sees God: Confessions of a Teenage Blockhead, a play by Bert V. Royal, will be performed at Out North Theatre on 3800 Debarr Road, September 4-14 at 7:30 p.m. on Fri/Sat; 4 p.m. on Sunday. Tickets are $14.50 online; $15 at the door. There is also a Pay-What-You-Can preview on Sept. 3 at 7:30 p.m.