Andrew Ribner/Photo Editor

If you’ve got a sick mind and love “Peanuts” comics, this weekend’s production of Bert V. Royal’s “Dog Sees God: Confessions Of A Teenage Blockhead” should be right up your alley. Playing at the ’92 Theater at 8 p.m. from Thursday-Saturday, it’s a satirical update that puts Charles M. Shultz’s classic characters in a “Degrassi”-esque high school full of angst, drama, and self-discovery.

You should know going in that “Dog Sees God” is sure to raise your eyebrows more than once. If some of the characters’ new circumstances seem contrived or obvious at first, it’s because Royal hasn’t yet revealed a trump card that will blow your mind and rattle your soul. For example, it opens with CB (the parody is unauthorized, so no names from the comic were used), played by Alex Donesky ’15, mourning Snoopy’s death after he contracted rabies and mauled Woodstock. From there, it tackles well-worn high school tropes–sexuality, homophobia, drugs, identity/spiritual/existential crises, etc.–with a fresh perspective that’s both dark and heartwarming.

Director Shelby Arnold ’12, who helmed last year’s “Black Comedy,” glowed over her second foray into directing.

“It’s been great,” she said. “Really intense, because we only had four weeks to put it up, but we kept it fun.”

She reunites with four veterans of “Black Comedy” and adds four discoveries to the mix, all of whom match their elders beat for beat. From the rehearsal I saw, the cast has great chemistry and gleefully plunges into the sea of risqué topics with a welcome lack of irony. The minimal sets really puts them on the spot, and they deliver.

In addition to Donesky, the cast includes Michaela Swee ’12 as CB’s Sister (Sally), Brett Keating ’15 as Van (Linus), Julian Silver ’12 as Matt (Pigpen), Mark Popinchalk ’13 as Beethoven (Schroeder), Alanna Greco ’13 as Tricia York (Peppermint Patty), Willa Beckman ’15 as Marcy (Marcie), and Sarah Corey ’12 as Van’s Sister (Lucy). Characters’ names have been changed, but “Peanuts” fans will instantly recognize old friends from the sharp dialogue and fine performances. Highlights include Silver, Keating, and Swee, who really gets into Sally Brown’s cartoonish physicality, but each cast member has their fair share of laugh-out-loud moments.

All of this combines into a sometimes heavy, but mostly delightful way to get a weekend night started. It’ll push your buttons, rekindle your nostalgia, and keep you talking after you leave.

“It’s short, it’s worth it, and it’ll probably make you feel better about yourself if you’re not stupid and angsty,” said Stage Manager Tess Minter ’12.