Registry Theatre to stage a production of the classic tale of Charlotte’s Web, featuring all the barnyard favourites
The unlikely friendship between a pig and a spider comes to The Registry Theatre next week with E. B. White’s classic tale, Charlotte’s Web.
Staged by Lightning Banjo Productions, the play will appeal to kids and adults alike who grew up with the barnyard story, says director Amy Neufeld.
She adds that it’s tradition for the group to perform a classic story before Christmas. They started with The Velveteen Rabbit a few years ago, and then last year they did The Snow Queen by Hans Christian Andersen.
“This one, Charlotte’s Web, it was a bit more of a trickier decision because of course it doesn’t have a Christmas theme to it. But we found a really wonderful adaptation for six actors, that we really liked. And we were counting on the fact that every time we say to the parents ‘Charlotte’s Web,’ they get this kind of nostalgic look on their face and you can tell that it was a story that was important to them,” Neufeld said.
If you’re not familiar with the story, Wilbur the pig is the runt of the litter who’s saved by the farmer’s daughter, Fern. He becomes friends with Charlotte, the spider, who makes it her goal to keep him from being slaughtered by writing messages in her webs, which draws attention from people near and far.
“It’s got that same sort of feeling at the end of it like when you’re finished watching It’s a Wonderful Life or A Christmas Carol, where you just feel good and you’ve been somewhere that’s not just about treats of Christmas. Because Charlotte’s Web has a few things that you go through with Wilbur, but in the end it all ends up being great and it’s such a positive emotionally charged moment at the end of the show. So that was something that we were really excited about,” Neufeld said.
The play adaptation by Joseph Robinette requires six actors, and Neufeld says they’re excited about their dynamic cast. Kevin White will play a few parts, most notably Templeton the Rat.
“He’s been in all of our shows. It’s starting to be the running joke that it’s not a show unless Kevin’s in it. He’s fantastic. He’s a local actor who is also a children’s librarian, so he’s got that wonderful expression,” Neufeld said.
They’ve also found some new faces through their auditions.
Charlotte will be played by Anna Maste, Sheep by Joy Soltys, Goose by Kez Vicario-Robinson, and Gander by Carlotta Ipsen. Sonja Malton will play Wilbur. A professionally trained actor, singer and dancer, she also appeared in last year’s March Break show, Betty and the Beast.
“She’s sort of the cutest pig you’ll ever see. I think she rivals some actual pigs in terms of cuteness. And she’s doing a great job,” Neufeld said.
The performance will run about an hour and she says the play adaptation does a good job of hitting all the highlights in the book. The audience will see the whole story play out with Charlotte, not shying away from sad parts of the book.
“Even though it’s a book that’s full of talking animals, which is clearly not realistic, there’s a realism to it in the sense that [White] thought it was really important to not sugar coat things for kids. He really believed that children can know the truth about life and that it doesn’t have to be a harmful or bad thing that they hide them from,” Neufeld said.
She says the play is already garnering buzz from parents who are reading the book to their kids and are excited to see it play out on stage, with the actors decked out in farm animal costumes.
And there are certainly some life lessons they can take away from the show.
“Charlotte talks about, when she first meets Wilbur, eating bugs. Wilbur gets quite disgusted by that. She says this is just the way I am, this is how I’m built, I can’t help it. Which I think is one of those messages that is so universal and why the story holds us. The sense that one, you can still be friends with somebody who’s different from you, who does things differently,” Neufeld said.
“I think it resonates for kids because as much as they like the bright coloured, moving objects aspect of some shows, and they are soothing to watch them, there’s something really reassuring about being told the truth, even though it’s not easy or not maybe the ideal.”
At the end of the play when things aren’t going Wilbur’s way he says how it’s better to have lived a good life than a long life and it’s time to start thinking about other people instead of himself – a relevant sentiment in the holiday season.
But most importantly, Neufeld is looking forward to seeing people out enjoying theatre together as a family.
“I think that as wonderful as presents are, I think the best thing, especially when you have kids, is to give them experiences,” Neufeld said.
They’re partnering with the Kitchener-Waterloo Art Gallery as in previous years, and they’ll be in the lobby before the Friday, Saturday, and Sunday shows doing barnyard crafts with anyone interested. She says families should plan to get there a little earlier to partake in the craft.
Charlotte’s Web plays at The Registry Theatre at 122 Frederick St. in Kitchener from Dec. 3-5 at 6:30 p.m., and Dec. 5-6 at 2 p.m. Tickets are available by calling 519-578-1570 or online at www.registrytheatre.com.
