Trevor Ives and in Charlotte's Web
It’s hard to imagine a more ideal venue for a performance of Charlotte’s Web than the Playcrafters Barn Theatre. Because the show's action takes place almost entirely in a barn, the space itself blends seamlessly with the set, inviting the audience to immerse themselves in the world of the play.
In this stage adaptation of the E.B. White classic, Wilbur (Trevor Ives), a runt piglet, is cared for by the young Fern Arable (Jai Schnaufer). After he’s grown, Wilbur moves down the road to the farm of Fern’s uncle Homer (Carl Thompson). The little pig is content in his new home until he finds out that his ultimate destiny isn’t a warm pen but a frying pan. Fortunately for Wilbur, though, his clever new spider friend Charlotte (Emma Hanson) convinces the humans that Wilbur is special by weaving words of praise such as “Some Pig” and “Terrific” into her web. The messages persuade Homer to enter his terrific pig in the State Fair, where winning a blue ribbon might spare Wilbur from the butcher’s block.
Director Erika Seabloom’s cast includes young children, teenagers, and adults playing a mixture of human characters and farm animals. When I attended Friday’s opening-night performance, I was particularly curious to see how the animal roles would be portrayed. Would this be like the 1980s BBC miniseries of The Lion, the Witch, & the Wardrobe? Visions of actors in giant beaver costumes flashed involuntarily into my mind.
I needn’t have worried. Costumer Hunter Greene dressed the barnyard residents in a stylized wardrobe that didn’t attempt to conceal the humanity of the actors. This choice allowed the performers to remain upright and also highlighted the animals’ anthropomorphic qualities. Wilbur, for example, wore white overalls over a pink crew-neck with a pink cap and pig ears. Charlotte was dressed in a poofy black dress with a shimmery tulle layer over her skirt that resembled the gossamer of spider silk. My favorite costume, though, was worn by Chloe Hansen as the Goose: all white with white feather accents and bright orange heels. I giggled in delight when she waddled out on stage.
The cast not only looked their parts, they had acting chops to match. I was pleasantly surprised to learn that this is Ives’ stage debut. He seemed totally at ease on stage and had lots of amusing reactions, even when he was silent. And even though Ives stands taller than most of his castmates, he still managed to adopt the physicality of a helpless and fearful little creature. Meanwhile, Hanson’s Charlotte was like an exuberant fairy godmother, radiating enthusiastic positivity and reassurance. On Friday, she elicited peals of laughter – particularly from the younger patrons – as she enthusiastically shimmied and hopped while “spinning” her web. Gabriel Thompson also had great comedic timing as Templeton, the scheming rat who reluctantly assists Charlotte in her plan to save Wilbur. And Ava Perrigo and Ella Richmond were a terrific pairing as the Sheep and Lamb, respectively, both exuding a feisty smugness that was in delightful contrast with Wilbur’s naïveté.
On the human side, the Arables and Zuckermans had a believable family dynamic, especially the antagonistic brother/sister relationship between Schnaufer's Fern and Noah Long's Avery Arable. As for the chorus of narrators (Karen Riffey, Dawn Renà Lang, Lucy Emerle, and Bailey Duffy) who all doubled in other ensemble roles, they provided smooth transitions between scenes, although there were times in which they could've increased their pacing.
Set designers Kathy Graham and Mike Roberts did a fantastic job with the scenery. They utilized Playcrafters’ existing barn layout by creating a frame in front of the stage that mirrored the slopes and angles of the real-life barn roof. It integrated so well with the space that my first thought was, “Wait … has that always been there?” (It hasn’t.) Graham and Roberts also installed sliding barn doors between the proscenium and thrust, which opened to reveal Charlotte’s titular web. I loved these doors so much that I only wish they had been used more; they were a clever scene-transition device. Charlotte’s web itself was cleverly designed using rope and twine woven between large wooden posts. And Wilbur’s little pen was handily created with a simple blanket with straw sewn around the edges.
I do wish that the blocking had made better use of Playcrafters’ large thrust stage, as a large portion of the action, particularly in the show’s first half, took place far upstage, away from the audience. In such a large space, bringing more of the action closer to the audience would've been helpful. Wilbur’s pen on the center thrust was a good focal point, but the other animals seemed unnecessarily clustered together on the proscenium stage. That being said, the thrust definitely got more use in the second half when Wilbur competes in the State Fair. All of the movement revolving around Wilbur’s pigsty gave us a vivid little taste of the hustle and bustle of the busy fair.
Finally, I loved McKenna Coskie’s impressive oversize props (scaled in proportion to the animals handling them), which were entertaining in and of themselves. Wilbur had a large baby bottle; Templeton scurried through the barn with a comedically giant goose egg; and Charlotte’s egg sac was designed so that it could balance atop her web and also be carried by the actors.
Playcrafters' Charlotte's Web is a perfect activity for a family night (or afternoon) out. Adults will appreciate the nostalgia and more nuanced humor, and children will absolutely adore the silliness and barnyard shenanigans. This heartwarming story of unconditional friendship is for everyone.
Charlotte's Web runs at the Playcrafters Barn Theatre (4950 35th Avenue, Moline IL) through July 28, and more information and tickets are available by visiting Playcrafters.com.
