Charlotte’s Web: A Play Review
Alexandra Gomez
May 3, 2010
Filed under Fine Arts, Reviews, Top Stories
“A friend loves at all times.” – Proverbs 17:17
This past April 22-25, Charlotte’s Web by Joseph Robinette, based on E.B. White’s classical children’s story, spun into the light at the Calvary Chapel Theatre with Wilbur (Jonah Carrignan) and his animal—and not so animal—friends. Directed by Sheri Hecocks, Charlotte’s Web is based on an unconditional friendship between a pig named Wilbur just trying to have a carefree life, and a spider named Charlotte (Suzi Quinn), who tries to save her new friend from becoming bacon!
Weeks after meeting and being cared by Fern Arable (Diana Poeana), Wilbur is sent to live at Zuckerman’s Farm, which is owned by Fern’s Uncle Homer (Tristan Peyton). In the Zuckermans’ barn, unbelievable things happen in very believable ways. Animals talk to each other, and it is their human qualities—the ability to create friendships and react with acts of heroism—that we find so endearing and relatable.
Shortly after he arrives at Zuckerman’s Farm, Wilbur meets the beautiful spider, Charlotte, the Goose (Haley Mason), Templeton (Blesi Tchividjian), and all the other animals on the farm. But when he finds out that Uncle Homer is only fattening him up to eat him in the winter, everyone scrambles to figure out a plan to save him. Charlotte decides to write words in her web about Wilbur, and a new word is discovered each night, which serves to draw the farmer’s attention and that of the whole neighborhood. Finally, it is decided that if Wilbur can win the blue ribbon in the County Fair, Uncle Homer “will never make a plate of bacon out of him.”
Charlotte helps him selflessly, even though she knows she only has a short time to live. In the end, Charlotte saves Wilbur, who returns the favor by saving her small, peach-colored egg sac with 514 eggs. Wilbur is sad when Charlotte dies, but finds happiness again when he strikes up a friendship with five of Charlotte’s little spiders that stay behind to live in the barn with him.
This fun-filled comedy is a warm story that touches the human heart, leaving both the audience and the cast and crew with something to talk about. Mrs. Hehocks wanted her players to experience the story of Charlotte’s Web first hand, and so during every rehearsal a member of the cast led a devotional, which did much to create “true friendships”—the very thing that the play was about.
Indeed, it was a fun play to watch and produce. “My favorite scene was probably when I came out all fat eating popcorn,” said Blesi Tchividijian. “Eating was the best part!” For Diana Poeana, who played Fern, her favorite scene was when “we got to push Avery (Sam Cudmore) into the trough.” For Cassy Cammarano (Martha Arable), there was something really magnificent going on behind the scenes. “The environment around here really tells you that everybody loves God, so that’s really incredible,” she said. “I couldn’t ask for anything more!”
With every play, concert, and musical CCA presents, there’s always a Christian meaning that’s sent out to its audience like a message in a bottle. Friendship is the message we got from Charlotte’s Web. Charlotte showed Wilbur what a “true friend” should be and act like. Her unconditional friendship reminds us of God’s love for us. And even though we don’t deserve Him, He is our “true friend.”