How 'Charlie Brown' Brought This Director Back to the Stage—30 Years Later

At Eight O’Clock Theatre, David W. Collins finds more than a debut. He finds home.

By Avery Anderson

David W. Collins didn’t expect to end up here—building a projection wall the size of a comic strip panel, directing a musical about a round-headed kid, and holding open rehearsals with a dancing bird.

“I did some theater as a teenager,” he said. “Youth shows, a few things in high school. And then... nothing. For 30 years.”

Until one night changed everything.

Collins bought a ticket to see Spamalot at Eight O’Clock Theatre. “I was blown away,” he said. “Live band, incredible sets. Just when I thought there wasn’t going to be another one—boom—another huge set rolls out. The talent, the production value… I said to myself, that’s where I need to go.”

So he did. And that decision eventually brought him to the director’s chair for You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown, opening August 8 at the Central Park Performing Arts Center.

But this isn’t just a directorial debut. It’s a full-circle moment.

From Audience Member to Ebenezer Scrooge

After that fateful Spamalot performance, Collins auditioned for a role at Eight O’Clock—but didn’t get it. “So I started looking around,” he said. “I just knew I wanted to get involved again.”

That search led him to Carrollwood Players, where A Christmas Carol was holding auditions. “I figured I’d maybe get a walk-on part, then talk to the tech crew and help backstage.”

Instead, the director called: Would he like to play Scrooge?

“Thirty years offstage, and I’m Ebenezer Scrooge,” he said, laughing. “That’s what reignited it all.”

Momentum followed. He returned to Carrollwood to direct A Christmas Carol the next year. He acted at St. Pete City Theatre (Jesus Christ Superstar, The Pirates of Penzance), and eventually directed A Christmas Carol there, too. Through it all, he kept returning to Largo, slowly becoming a regular presence in Eight O’Clock’s creative orbit.

“They got to know me,” he said. “I expressed my desire to direct for them, and they took a chance on me. I’ve been very grateful for the opportunity.”

A Doghouse in the Attic

You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown isn’t just the show that gave Collins his shot. It’s a production he’s carried with him since childhood.

“My sister sang the Snoopy song in a talent show,” he recalled. “My dad built her a replica of Snoopy’s doghouse to sit on while she sang. When I was a kid, that doghouse was up in the attic. I played with it constantly.”

He also vividly remembers seeing a local production of the show with his grandparents. “It’s part of the culture,” he said. “It’s part of my culture.”

Collins describes the musical as “a celebration of Charles Schulz’s creativity, philosophy, and humanity”—a warm, vignette-style tribute to the Peanuts gang, their small triumphs and big feelings. And for this production, he wanted to take it further.

Rear Projections and New Perspectives

“There’s things in this show that I don’t think you will have seen before,” Collins said. “Even if you’ve seen You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown perform somewhere else.”

Chief among them: Woodstock. Yes, that Woodstock. Collins added the iconic yellow bird as a fully staged character. “If you come just to see the character of Woodstock and the wonderful actor that I have as Woodstock—that’s almost worth the price of admission,” he said. “I think anybody seeing the show will go, why hasn’t there ever been a Woodstock in it before?”

Collins also introduced a bold visual concept: a full rear-projection wall designed to transform the stage into something more immersive. “We created a whole projection wall for the set,” he said. “There will be videos and things accompanying that. The whole concept is that it’s quite literally the comic book coming to life on stage.”

That creative freedom is exactly what drew Collins to Eight O’Clock Theatre in the first place. “This is one of the most professionally run community theaters I’ve ever worked with,” he said. “The quality here? It’s on par with venues like the Straz. If you haven’t seen an Eight O’Clock show at Central Park Performing Arts Center, you’re really missing out.”

A Stage for Everyone

On Saturday, August 9 at 11 a.m., Eight O’Clock Theatre will host a sensory-friendly performance of You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown—a first for the company and a cause Collins personally championed.

“Because of my past work with adults with developmental and physical disabilities, I’ve always been aware of how few sensory-friendly performances are offered in this area,” he said. “This show felt like the perfect opportunity to create something more inclusive.”

The special matinee will run just one hour, with adjusted lighting, sound, and a flexible environment for neurodivergent audience members and families. “It’s mostly group numbers, all the high-energy stuff,” Collins said. “People can get up, move around—whatever they need to do. I’m really proud we’re offering it.”

What Would Charlie Brown Do?

At its core, You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown is about resilience. Trying your best. Showing up even when you feel like the world is stacked against you.

Which is maybe why it resonates so deeply with Collins now.

“This show represents a lot of who we are,” he said. “There’s something in each of these characters that everyone can relate to. We’ve all been Charlie Brown. We’ve all been Lucy. We’ve all clung to our own version of Linus’s blanket.”

And just like Charlie Brown himself, Collins is finally getting his moment.

“I’ve done the hard part,” he said, smiling. “Now I just get to sit back and watch these wonderful actors have a great time onstage.”

🎟 If You Go:

You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown
Directed by David W. Collins
Eight O’Clock Theatre at Central Park Performing Arts Center
August 8–17
🎭 Sensory-Friendly Performance: Saturday, August 9 at 11 a.m.
Tickets and details at www.eightoclocktheatre.com