Charlotte's Web
Adapted by Joseph Robinette
Central Methodist University, 2024
What I love most about this adaptation of Charlotte's Web, besides the heartwarming story, is its flexibility to experiment!
I have now staged this particular adaptation:
​
1) virtually with a cast of six actors
​
2) as a traveling production with nine actors (three ensemble/swings)
​
3) as a proscenium style production with eight actors (two swings)
Working with puppets on stage was an exciting new endeavor for myself, the cast, and our costume team!
The cast performed shows during the morning and afternoon so that CMU could invite K-12 classes from Fayette and neighboring towns to see the show.
​​
​
​
​
​
We also shared the educational packet I created over the summer with teachers who taught lessons in their classrooms based on the play.
Director's Note
Our production of Charlotte’s Web at the Little Theatre marks the third time I have directed this adaptation of E.B. White’s beloved story since the summer of 2020. I think back to that summer and many things have changed, like the fact that many of us are able to gather in-person to experience theatre again! Hooray! Some things have also stayed the same. It is not lost on me that this production opens on the heels of a contentious election. Much feels uncertain right now. It is through bringing this production to life that I have found comfort on difficult days. Rehearsing themes like friendship, sacrifice, selflessness, and fighting for the little guy, reminds me why I love what I do. Working with cute fuzzy puppets offers a joy and a coziness as the days grow shorter and the temperature grows colder. Witnessing the cast supporting one another on stage, or simply muddling through a rehearsal where we have the giggles, exemplifies the kind of generosity and authenticity I look for in fostering community. It may have taken a play about a spider and a pig to remind me of the beauty of humanity, but nevertheless, because of Charlotte, and Wilbur, and this team of storytellers, I feel hopeful about the future to come. I invite you to share in that hope with us through the miracle of Charlotte’s Web.