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Performances: Friday, Oct. 16: 7 p.m.
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Family-friendly theatre will take center stage at the State University of New York at Fredonia this month as the Department of Theatre and Dance presents E.B. White’s beloved family classic “Charlotte’s Web” from Oct. 16 to 24 in Marvel Theatre.
“Charlotte’s Web” opens the 2009-10 Walter Gloor Mainstage Series with eight performances: Friday, Oct. 16 at 7 p.m.; Saturday Oct. 17 at 2 and 7 p.m.; Sunday, Oct. 18 at 2 p.m.; Thursday, Oct. 22 and Friday, Oct. 23 at 7 p.m. and Saturday, Oct. 24 at 2 and 7 p.m.
Directing “Charlotte’s Web” will be Ted Sharon, associate professor of voice and movement at SUNY Fredonia. He noted the Department of Theatre and Dance has successfully produced family-friendly theatre via the Playground drama day camp the past three summers.
“As part of an ongoing commitment to the community, the department has now made family-friendly theatre an official part of the Mainstage season,” he said.
Sharon views “Charlotte’s Web” as a story of selflessness.
“In my imagination, it is framed by the hills and fields, rural roads and fence posts and shelves of Mason jars that I was privileged to grow up with,” he said. “A spider named Charlotte sacrifices her time, talents and ultimately her life to ensure that a runt pig named Wilbur has a chance at life Perception doesn't normally associate spiders with benevolence and runts in any form in society are most often considered outcasts. Happily, this classic tale suggests alternative perceptions and practices.”
The challenge as a production team, Sharon said, has been to bring something of the magic and wonder of Charlotte the spider, Wilbur the pig, Templeton the rat and the little farm girl Fern to the stage. Costume and set designs have been discussed, submitted, reworked and finally approved for this production.
“We look forward to sharing this experience with the entire SUNY Fredonia campus and the individuals and families that live in the surrounding communities,” Sharon said.
“Charlotte’s Web” is a Walter Gloor Mainstage event sponsored by Coldwell Banker Phil Mathyer Real Estate as part of the 2009-10 Lake Shore Savings Season.
Tickets are available through the SUNY Fredonia Ticket Office in the Williams Center, by phone at 716-673-3501 (1-766-441-4927) or online at www.fredonia.edu/tickets.
