Clad in yellow and black, one of the most beloved characters is returning to the Pavilion Theatre, but this time he is in distress. He will shout, "Isn't there anyone out there who can tell me what Christmas is all about?"

With the help of all his friends and his pup, Snoopy, Charlie Brown has come to spread some holiday cheer and to discover the real meaning of Christmas.

The student-run underground theatre group Outlaws is performing its annual Christmas production, A Charlie Brown Christmas, this weekend. Outlaws is a completely student-involved theatre group, though it is not specifically for theatre majors. The group has four producers who are given scripts written by fellow students. From these scripts, the producers choose a play every week to be performed Thursday night.

To put the campus in the spirit of the holiday season, Outlaws annually performs Charles Schulz's classic. The first of nearly 50 Peanuts television movies, A Charlie Brown Christmas is the longest-running cartoon special in history, airing every year since its debut in 1965.

Tom Pogue (senior-theatre) said the performance is a classic holiday tradition.

"Although it's old, it never gets old," Pogue said.

When Charlie Brown complains about the overwhelming materialism he sees among everyone during the Christmas season, Lucy suggests that he become director of the school Christmas pageant. Charlie Brown accepts, but it proves to be a frustrating task. When an attempt to restore the proper spirit with a hopeless little fir Christmas tree fails, he needs Linus' help to learn what the real meaning of Christmas is all about.

This adaptation of the holiday classic has been passed down for the past few years from the "ghosts of Outlaws past" according to Outlaws participant, James Marsh (sophomore-theatre). Marsh said he feels this is a very faithful adaptation, determined to capture all the elements of the cartoon.

"We try to stick to the Peanuts special down to the motions. We mimic the feel of the cheaply done animation, which creates a funny effect to watch the actors doing the motions. It's a really big deal," Marsh said.

Pogue plays the infamous Charlie Brown in the Outlaws' production. For him, this was the most challenging aspect of the play, for Charlie is "the heart of the piece."

"Charlie Brown is one of those characters you'll hear about for ages. It's a lot to have to live up to the expectations of the audience. He's a staple of the holiday season, and the show must be translated exactly," Pogue said.

Another staple role is that of Linus, played by Marsh. To Marsh, Linus shows what the Peanuts are all about. According to him, the Peanuts represent a mix between youthfulness and naïveté, approaching the adult world with an innocent eye.

"It's a blast playing such a iconic, sweet character, who is so naïve yet so educated. Linus has his blanket, but he also quotes from the Bible," Marsh said.

There will be a full set to go with this tradition.

"You can expect Snoopy's house, the brick wall, trees and everything that's in the cartoon," Pogue said.

Putting the show together has been tedious for the director and producer, Amanda Memoli (senior-theatre).

"It's a tedious process putting the show together, but when it finally comes together the energy from the audience is so great. I haven't been involved with this production before but bringing it all together makes people continue to enjoy and want to be a part of it," Memoli said.

Memoli said she was thrilled when she was chosen as the director for this tradition.

"It's such a great thing and a great message, and that's what keeps people watching, the honesty of the show. But casting for the show was a little difficult because there are so many talented people. It's big shoes to fill because you want to recreate what people are expecting with a perfect cast," Memoli said.

Both Memoli and Marsh agreed that the most difficult aspect of the play is the physical movements. The attempt to capture the cartoon exactly has been the cast's biggest challenge.

"Definitely mimicking the movements and the speech of the cartoon has been my biggest challenge. It's very different from real acting, where an actor is given a script and can develop a character, making it his or her own. Here, we are adapting directly from the original show," Marsh said.

Although the Outlaws perform this production every year, Pogue is convinced it never loses anything with each performance.

"This is a script that never loses anything. The cast and I always feel excited about the show when it's rehearsal or the real thing. There's always the fear that it will fade since it's done every year, but it doesn't, even though it's an old show," Pogue said.

Pogue said the production helps to mark the holiday season and the coming of winter break, and it's an incredibly fun experience for the performers.

"It's one of the most fun experiences to see the audience reactions. To bring a cartoon onstage is amazing, getting to capture every single moment onscreen," Pogue said.

Whether you're a freshman or a senior or if you've seen it 100 times or never before, Pogue encourages everyone to come and check out this holiday classic.

"It's fun for everyone, especially if you haven't seen it before," Pogue said.

Because, like Linus says, "That's what Christmas is all about, Charlie Brown."