MHCC first-year theater students to bring the comic strip to life in the winter musical

SAM McPHERSON- Sam McPherson, a fi rstyear student, plays the role of Snoopy.

McPherson is from Vancouver, Wash., and he started acting was when his girlfriend in high school encouraged him to try out for their school play his sophomore year.

“Snoopy!!!” is McPherson’s fi rst play at MHCC and he was encouraged by his instructors to try out.

When he found out that he got the role of Snoopy, he said, “I was defi nitely very excited.”

In addition to being very welcoming, McPherson said of the cast members, “They are all very skilled and dedicated actors.” McPherson said that acting as the cartoon character Snoopy was “at times diffi cult, but being on stage is very cartoon like.”

JACOB WESTFALL – Another first-year student, Jacob Westfall, plays the role of Charlie Brown.

The “Snoopy!!!” musical will be his fi rst play at MHCC. When Westfall found out he got the role of Charlie Brown, he said, “I was pretty exhilarated.

It was the largest role that I’ve ever had in my theater career. It was an exciting experience, but also very daunting at the same time.” Westfall watched Charlie Brown growing up.

“The Snoopy Christmas videos were sort of a part of my childhood; it was something that my parents would put on to keep me busy,” he said.

Westfall says that being in the play makes it “kinda diffi cult to juggle classes, extracurricular activities, as well as the play, and music courses and what not. It’s a little bit tough.”

Although Westfall has a busy schedule, performing is his passion. “My dream is to be a recording artist, a singer/songwriter. Acting is teaching me a lot about stage presence and expressing yourself to an audience,” he said.

Westfall has performed in front of 3,000 people at Cranage Hall at University of Nevada-Las Vegas “that was the biggest crowd that I’ve ever performed (in front of),” he said.

EDDY MORALES – First-year student Eddy Morales plays the role of Woodstock.

Moralas said, “In high school, I never got main roles. I always got to play chorus, so when I got it (the role), I was like, ‘Woodstock! He’s one of my favorite characters in Charlie Brown. No way! This is a dream come true!'”

Moralas is from Mexico, and moved to Oregon when he was 11 years old. He grew up watching Charlie Brown in Spanish.

“I personally like it (Charlie Brown) in English better, because in Spanish it was kind of boring and fl at,” Morales said. He thinks acting as a cartoon character is “not diffi cult to me, because my face is elastic, kind of like Jim Carrey, where he can come up with ridiculous faces, and come up with the most extreme faces.

So, I can look really cartoonish a lot of the times.” Morales’ dream acting partner would be Hugh Jackman. “Snoopy!!!” opens Feb. 24 and runs through March 4.

Tickets are $12 for adults and $5 for children 12 and under. Tickets and show times are available at [email protected].

Tickets can also be purchased over the phone at 503-491-7154.