The beloved bedtime story of many students has crawled into the Deerfield High School’s Studio Theater to become Fall Play 2. Charlotte’s Web, which will run from November 5th through November 7th, is in the making, with the crew  practicing their special effects and cast learning to embody the animal characters for their upcoming performances.

The show is unique because of the non-human characters, and innovative effects that are used, particularly for Charlotte, played by senior Gabbi Browdy. For this role, Browdy has to work to portray a realistic spider while keeping the human qualities of Charlotte as a motherly figure. Browdy feels this role is a comfortable and natural fit, as she herself has fond memories reading the book and watching the movie growing up.

“I think I have a strong connection with the show because I have always been a huge fan of the book and always read it when I was a little kid,” Browdy said.

The actors in Charlotte’s Web, who have been rehearsing since September, have worked hard to become the characters they were cast as. Gabbi Browdy feels that every person involved in the production, on or off stage, has an important role.

“I strongly believe that every actor has equal responsibility in putting on the show whether that’s the lead or an actor. There are only small actors, no small parts  …  Everyone is equal in a performance, and you are all coming together for a common goal, which is putting on the show,” Browdy said.

While the actors are in M106 going over lines and placing themselves in another mindset, the crew is working in the Studio Theater and auditorium, spinning Charlotte’s web. Senior Lindsay Mummert is the scenic designer for the show and has outlined the entire set. The crew veterans, like Mummert, work individually with groups of freshman with similar interests in order to teach them the skills needed to successfully build a set.

“It’s such an honor to be able to design, and a privilege to be able to work in a community in which people are so supportive of creating someone’s else’s artistic vision,” Mummert said.

Every detail of the set is planned down to the last nail, even learning to paint the correct way, with certain strokes on the wooden base of the set. The main goal is to create a set that is extremely similar to how the audience imaged Charlotte’s Web while reading the book.  Cassidy Jackson, the Assistant Scenic Designer, works closely with Mummert to make this vision come to life, no matter what the challenges.

“It was really challenging in the beginning, whether or not we want to take it simply as a children’s book texture-wise because it would seem flatter. We were trying to figure out if we wanted to simplify it, and make it children-friendly, or for high school because most people who will see the show will be students at DHS,” Jackson said.

The crew has put lots of effort into the web in order for it to be visually pleasing to young children and teenagers alike. From making props to painting the wood-based set, students have to focus on the visual details in order to create a compelling backdrop for the insightful story.

“Since I’ve been here, this is the first children’s show that has been done. Scenically, it’s trying to figure out what will be the most effective in the storytelling to our audience,” Mummert said.

This component is something both the cast and crew have been working on balancing. As Wilbur the pig, the protagonist of the play, is learning how to read on stage, the crew was given the creative liberty to convey this juvenile task to a high school audience. Incorporating the theme of a popup book is something exciting that the crew is working on, through projections and tangible means.

“If it’s on stage, it has to be used the way you think it is going to be used,” Mummert said.

Communication is key in putting together the work of cast and crew. Even though Charlotte’s Web is a children’s story, there are serious messages in the story of sacrifice, staying true to oneself, teamwork, and friendship that resonate with actors, artists, and audience alike. In the selection of the play, Ms. Crowley, the director, prefers to look for plays that raise important questions that keep the audience thinking, even after they have left their seats.

“Theater is an art form that’s all about the immediate relationship with your audience. We want to engage the audience; we want the audience to feel like the story that is being told, the questions that are being asked, are important to them, and that they are engaging,” Crowley said.

One of the challenges faced in this particular art is working on the precision of the character and the illustration of portraying non-human beings while still respecting the classic story and not brushing it off as a children story. The story, written by E. B. White, has kept its place in history because of the substance of Charlotte and other characters. The legacy of the indestructible bond built upon friendship is focused on within the play and resonates with many.

“I think about one of my closest friends growing up who I did theater with, she passed away about 8 years ago from ovarian cancer, and I like to think that our friendship has transcended death; and that there’s a part of her that is with me every time I walk into a rehearsal space. So those are pretty big messages,” Crowley said.

The personal connections of those involved in the creation of the play will be the differentiating factors from this play in Deerfield High School’s Studio Theater to other plays nationwide. Together crew, cast, Ms. Crowley, and Mr. Clack work towards their goal of a successful opening night of Charlotte’s Web that will connect with their audience and do justice to the visions of everyone involved.