'Charlotte's Web' to be Fully-Staged as Part of Imagine U Family Series

EVANSTON, Ill. --- A stage adaptation of “Charlotte’s Web” -- widely considered one of the best children’s books written in the past 200 years -- will be performed at Northwestern University from May 2 through May 11.

The show is part of the 2013-14 Imagine U family series season at the Theatre and Interpretation Center at Northwestern University. Imagine U productions are designed to give children aged 6 to 10 and the “big people” in their lives an insider’s look at the magical world of theatre.

The hourlong “Charlotte’s Web” performances will take place at the Hal and Martha Hyer Wallis Theater at 1949 Campus Drive, on the University’s Evanston campus. They will be staged at 7 p.m. Friday, May 2; 2 p.m. Saturday, May 3; 2 p.m. and 5 p.m. Sunday, May 4; 7 p.m. Friday, May 9; 2 p.m. Saturday, May 10; and 2 p.m. and 5 p.m. Sunday, May 11.

The clever spider/heroine of this popular tale befriends a rambunctious, lonely and fearful piglet. Adapted by Joseph Robinette from the novel by E.B. White, it will be directed by Northwestern theatre faculty member Mary Poole, Charles Deering McCormick Distinguished Senior Lecturer in the School of Communication.

A poignant story of friendship, life, death and renewal, the play will feature talking farm animals portrayed by a Northwestern student cast. Cast members will be available in-costume, including those portraying animals, following each performance to greet young patrons in the lobby for photo opportunities and a “petting zoo” experience.

“Charlotte’s Web” tells the story of a young pig’s restless first night in the Zuckerman family barn, when he learns through his fellow barnyard creatures of some unsettling plans for his future. Charlotte, a resourceful spider who lives on a web overlooking his pen, takes it upon her spinnerets to save him with “witty words and trusty webs.” 

Tickets for the “Charlotte’s Web” production are $10 for adults; $8 for children under the age of 18, and $5 advance-purchase tickets exclusively for full-time Northwestern students with IDs. Discounts are available for groups of eight or more.