BC Theatre to Present ‘Charlotte’s Web’
Bluefield College Theatre will present its adaptation of Charlotte’s Web, Friday and Saturday September 27-28 at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday, September 29 at 2 p.m. in Harman Chapel.
Dr. Charles Reese, professor of theatre, artistic director and co-chair of the Theatre Department, says the story “is about loving and caring about people and sacrificing for them. It is about learning to see the best in yourself. It’s just sweet.”
Bluefield College Theatre presented Charlotte’s Web before as part of its Youth Theatre program where all the animals cast in the play were children. Now, 10 years later, BC will be doing the same script, an adaptation Reese wrote, but now with all Bluefield College students, including the animal roles.
“It was a great production the last time we did it,” Reese said, “but we are hoping for a little more emotional depth with the older actors.”
Senior and double major in English and theatre Carrington Hawthorne said the play is a good fit for her considering the production involves both of her majors. She will be playing the role of Goose, which she said can be an “eccentric” role to play.
Hawthorne has been onstage in nine Bluefield College productions, including Charlotte’s Web, and has worked backstage for seven BC productions.
“My favorite thing about this play is that it takes me back to my childhood,” Hawthorne said. “I loved the movie growing up and eventually read and loved the novel, too. However, I am finding new things to appreciate about the story now. I think there is something in this show for everyone.”
A local Mercer Christian High School student will be playing the role of Fern, a young girl who vows to take care of Wilbur. Another local high school student will be playing Avery, her big brother.
The role of Wilbur will be played by BC’s Carleek Owens, a senior theatre major. Andrew Viskup, another BC senior theatre major, will be playing the role of Templeton the rat.
Staley Lyle will play the sheep, who is “kind of a busy-body controlling character.” BC freshman Luke Saferight will play the role of Gander, Melissa Denson will play the cow, Robert Walls will be the horse, and Claire Fisher will play the lamb.
Mr. and Mrs. Zuckerman will be played by Aaron Sudderth and Mary Jones, and the star of the show, Charlotte, will be played by Ashley Burton.
There is only one minor change to the story in this production. In the original book, Fern’s last name is Arable, and in this play she is a Zuckerman.
“We are going to have the actors voicing the animals, but we are also going to have wooden cutouts representing what the animals look like based on the original illustrations from the 1952 edition by Garth Williams,” Reese said. “They are the pictures every one associates with Charlotte’s Web. Those will be the visuals for the animals. They will not be in animal costumes, but they will be in animal inspired costumes, as well.”
The production will also feature extensive video. The narration will be dealing with the changing of the seasons on the farm.
“We will use video with still-photos and then found footage of farm life to kind of tell the story of the farm going from summer to winter and then back to spring,” Reese said.
In addition to the public performances of Charlotte’s Web September 27-29, BC Theatre will present two matinees for local school children on Monday, September 30 and on Tuesday, October 1 at 10 a.m.