BWW Previews: CHARLOTTE'S WEB COMES TO Straz Center For The Performing Arts' TECO Theatre

Directed by Sarah Berland, on October 17-20, The Straz Center's Patel Conservatory will present Charlotte's Web in the TECO Theater.

Featuring 34 children, from ages 9 to 16, the beloved children's story features a frightened little pig Wilbur who wants to avoid being a meal and an extraordinary spider named Charlotte, who teaches him how to be brave and all of their barnyard friends.

Wilbur learns from Charlotte, "with the right words, you can change the world...."

Sarah explained, "My artistic vision for the production was basically to shows things and characters in a different light than most people expect from them. Most people are scared of spiders. They look creepy and make your skin crawl, but dig beyond that and find the beauty of the heart inside. I wanted to break expectations and shake things up. That's why I added so many elements that are not what you normally see in this kind of production. I want to get people to think about things a little differently."

Sarah said that many messages come out of the production.

"Friendship can't be dictated by who you are and what you look like; friendship transcends a lifetime, and you cannot escape death, but the legacy you leave behind is almost an immortality if you do it the right way, leaving your legacy through your children as Charlotte does."

In this take on the classic tale, the wordsmith Charlotte is a four-foot puppet operated by three puppeteers and added is a jug band, of which actor Ava Shimmel, 13, is the unofficial leader. Ava has been with Patel Conservatory for six years, and she said that Charlotte's Web is her favorite production to date.

In her role, Ava and six other actors read through the script to determine the sound effects needed. They then built their own musical instruments in the Patel classroom from household objects and found materials like cheese graters, spoons, a plastic plate as a washboard, and a bucket with a string and broom handle. The homemade instruments are accompanied by a violinist and a clarinet player.

"Ava is amazing. She is responsible for making sure everyone stays in line, all of our cues are at the right moment," Sarah said then teased. "She does all my grunt work so I can focus on the stage."

Sarah said that this was a touching version of the book that translated well to the stage.

"This show is just so different from any show I've done before," Ava said. "There are so many different unique elements and messages throughout it. From 4 to adult, everyone should come to see this show and see the story in a different light and just to enjoy it."

On November 16, the students will be taking Charlotte's Web to compete in the Florida Theatre Competition.

Charlotte's Web will be presented in TECO Theater on October 17-20. Performances are Thursday and Friday at 7 p.m., Saturday at 10 a.m. (relaxed performance), and 2 p.m. and Sunday at 1 and 4 p.m. Tickets may be purchased by calling 813.229.7827 in person at the Straz Center Ticket Office, or online at www.strazcenter.org.

Don't Miss a Tampa News Story
Sign up for all the news on the Summer season, discounts & more...