BLOOMSBURG – Bloomsburg Theatre Ensemble’s annual holiday food drive and low-price previews will start the run of “A Charlie Brown Christmas” by Charles M. Schulz this upcoming weekend, a press release said.

The food drive and low-price previews offer audiences a sneak peek of “A Charlie Brown Christmas” before the production’s official premiere at 7:30 p.m. Saturday. The show’s cast and crew use these previews to gauge and tweak the show based on the audiences’ reactions, according to the press release.

Based on the television special by Bill Melendez and Lee Mendelson, the production features stage adaptation by Eric Schaeffer with special arrangement by Arthur Whitelaw and Ruby Persson. When Charlie Brown isn’t feeling the Christmas spirit, his (unlicensed) psychiatrist, Lucy Van Pelt, appoints him director of the gang’s Christmas play. It turns out Charlie Brown isn’t the only one who doesn’t understand Christmas.

The Red Cast includes: Kimie Muroya (Snoopy), Carson Feger (Charlie Brown), Eugene Knight (Linus), Alexia Long (Lucy), Kendal Marcotte (Frieda), Liam White (Schroeder), David Knight (Pig Pen), Luciana McHenry (Sally), Ryann Francis (Shermy), Shaela McCrone (Patty) and Ada Trombley (Violet). The Green Cast includes: Kimie Muroya (Snoopy), Cole Clugston (Charlie Brown), Victor Troychock (Linus), Rosie Vogt (Lucy), Scarlett Roy (Frieda), Finnegan Foran (Schroeder), Zev McCallum (Pig Pen), Stella Bailey (Sally), Aiden Kawas (Shermy), Audrey Burnett (Patty), Margot Sutton Figueroa (Violet) Sarah Elizabeth Yorke (creative producer), Dave Yezefski (master electrician) and Michael Fritz (master carpenter).

The creative team and crew include: Aaron White (director), Amanda Haney (music director), Rae Weber (stage manager), Heather Rummings (assistant state manager), Aaron White (choreographer), Jennifer Lippert (costume design), Alejandro Ridolfi (lighting design), Amy Rene Byrne and Kimie Muroya (props design), Isy Kessler (scenic design), Philip Haney (sound engineer), Heather Rummings (deck captain) and Emily Rose (run crew). High school interns include: Hailey Gallup, Katelyn La Valley and Egan Shimel. The Youth Crew includes: Rosie Turnbough, Josh Vawdrey and Charlie Dressler.

The professional theatre company’s annual Holiday Food Drive returns on Friday. Anyone who donates an item of canned or non-perishable food to the Bloomsburg Food Cupboard will receive a ticket to the 2:00 p.m. preview. As in past years, BTE will collect donations from patrons in its theater lobby before the performance starts. As a result, advanced tickets and reserve seating are unavailable for the Food Preview. Bloomsburg Theatre Ensemble advises patrons to arrive early, as admission and seating are first-come, first-serve.

Families can also enjoy a low-price sneak peek of the show at 2 p.m. Saturday. It officially opens at 7:30 p.m. that evening.