CHARLOTTE S WEB Based on the book by E.B. White Dramatized by Joseph Robinette TEACHER S NOTES Welcome to the Cleveland Play House! The following material focuses on Joseph Robinette s theatrical adaptation of E.B. White s Charlotte s Web. It has been designed for use by the classroom teacher and contains the following information: the author s biography what the play s about introducing the play s characters preparing your students for their first visit to the theatre Domenick Danza, Education Director The Cleveland Play House 8500 Euclid Ave. Cleveland, OH 44106-0189 216-795-7000 x270 ddanza@clevelandplayhouse.com Material written by: Prithi Kanakamedala
ABOUT THE AUTHOR E.B. White Elwyn Brooks (E.B.) White began his career as a reporter and he ended it as one of the most celebrated children s authors of his time. He was born in Mount Vernon, New York, in 1899. After graduating from Cornell University in 1921, White began his professional writing career. For many years, he was a contributing editor to The New Yorker magazine. In 1929 E.B. White married Katherine Sergeant Angell. Together, they had one son. In 1939, the Whites moved to a farm in North Brookline, Maine, where E.B. White continued to write. He said the animals in his barn gave him ideas. For example, he loved animals, but most farm animals were slaughtered for food. While trying to figure out a way for a pig to be saved from that fate, he observed a large grey spider near the barn. One idea led to another, and the story of Charlotte s Web unfolded. While living in Brookline, E.B. White published his three most famous books: Stuart Little, Charlotte s Web, and The Trumpet of the Swan. E.B. White won many awards for his writing, including a special Pulitzer Prize in 1978. He also held honorary degrees from seven American colleges and universities. White died on 1 October, 1985, of Alzheimer s disease.
ABOUT THE PLAY I. The Story Fern, a young girl who loves animals, rescues the runt of the pig litter from her father s axe. She names the tiny pig Wilbur and cares for him until he is big enough to be raised at the farm of Homer Zuckerman, Fern s uncle. From the first edition of Charlotte s Web. Illustrator: Garth Willams. At Zuckerman s farm, Wilbur is confused and scared by the other animals on the farm, including a gossipy goose, a gloomy sheep, and a grouchy rat named Templeton. Wilbur is homesick and lonely for Fern until he meets a new friend, a grey spider Charlotte, who lives in the eaves above Wilbur s pen. Charlotte teaches Wilbur about true friendship. When the animals find out that Mr. Zuckerman is fattening up Wilbur to be slaughtered, Charlotte saves her friend with humility.
II. Adapting the Story The play being produced by the Cleveland Play House is an adaptation of the story described previously. A theatrical adaptation is the playwright s interpretation of the existing story. In other words, the play you are about to see may not resemble E.B. White s story exactly. Rather, character names, places, chronology and other elements of the original story may be altered to fit the playwright s vision for the theatre. It has always remained the artistic license of the playwright, throughout the history of the theatre, to do so. Playwright Joseph Robinette adapted Charlotte s Web for the theatre. Robinette is a professor of theatre at Rowan University, New Jersey. He is the author of more than 30 published plays and musicals, including the adaptation of E.B. White s Charlotte s Web, along with a musical adaptation of the same book. E.B. White praised Robinette s adaptation of his book, and after seeing it himself, he said, I was surprised and pleased at the show. Never saw anything quite like it. Robinette has adapted many other favorites for the stage including The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, The Paper Chase and A Rose for Emily.
III. Meet the Characters Fern Arable: Young daughter of John and Martha. She rescues Wilbur from being slaughtered and keeps him as her pet. John Arable: Father of Fern and Avery. Husband to Martha. John owns the farm where Wilbur is born. Martha Arable: Mother to Fern and Avery. Wife to John. Avery Arable: Older brother to Fern. Son of Martha and John. Homer Zuckerman: Uncle to Fern and Avery Arable. Homer owns a larger farm that is the home of all of the animals including Wilbur and Charlotte. Edith Zuckerman: Aunt to Fern and Avery Arable. Wife of Homer. She lives on the farm and helps to take care of the chickens. Wilbur: Fern Arable s pig and good friend. He was born the runt of a litter on the Arables farm and now lives on the Zuckerman farm. He is also a good friend to Charlotte. Templeton: a rat that lives in Zuckerman s barn. He likes to collect items that he finds around the barn. Charlotte: a spider that lives in Zuckerman s barn. She is a good friend to Wilbur. Goose, Gander and Sheep: animals that live on Zuckerman s farm with Wilbur and Charlotte.
PREPARING YOUR STUDENTS FOR THEIR TRIP TO THE CLEVELAND PLAY HOUSE This might be the first time that some of your students are attending the theatre. Here is some information about the Cleveland Play House and the production that will help you and your students prepare for your role as audience members. I. Expected Behavior For many children, this production will be their first experience with live theatre, therefore it is important to discuss with them the expected behavior of the audience. The Cleveland Play House asks that prior to the performance, students are made aware of the following: - Do not go on stage at any time. the stage will be three-quarter thrust (not proscenium, as you might be used to, where the audience all sit facing the stage). It is therefore important that you ask your students not to disturb the action on stage nor try to communicate to audience members sitting opposite them. - All aisles must be kept clear throughout the performance (no sitting on the stairs). - Visit the washroom before the show. It is hard to leave once the performance begins. - Do not bring food or drinks into the theatre. Theatre is not a place for popcorn and rustling candy wrappers. - Try not to talk throughout the performance even whispering voices can be distracting. - Don t leave your seat unless instructed by the teacher or theatre staff. - Turn off your cell phone, if you have brought one, and don t use a camera or video recorder. II. Relationship to the Theatre - There is an implicit understanding between audience and performer to suspend disbelief. Here, both audience and performer pretend that the action is real and is happening for the first time. - The characters in the play will not look exactly like the drawings provided. They will wear an item that will help us know who the character is. - Actors, costumed in neutral colors, who move scenery and props, are considered invisible by other performers and the audience. - Some performers may play many characters. - This production practices nontraditional casting in which actors play roles regardless of their gender and/or race. - Characters sometimes speak their thoughts aloud (soliloquy) so that the audience knows what the characters are thinking.
III. The Production There are many people who work together to put on a play. The whole process takes about one year from deciding to produce the play to the play s opening night. Each production consists of the following people: - Playwright: a person who writes plays is called a playwright. A playwright writes lines (dialogue) for the actors. - Director: the person who interprets the play. S/He works with the designers to establish the concept of the play. After several meetings s/he will agree on the production elements to be used for the show including sets, costumes, props, lights and sounds. The director also chooses the actors to play the different parts in the show. Once rehearsals begin the director conveys his ideas to the actors by giving them directions on their character development and staging their movements (blocking). Once the play opens for the public, the majority of the director s job is over. - Actors: actors pretend to be the characters in a play. Sometimes, a grown-up plays the part of a child. They might also play old people or animals. Sometimes, one actor plays many different characters. Watch the ways in which actors change their voices, movements, or costumes to become different characters. - Set Designer: the person who designs the set. S/He creates the world that is seen when you enter the theatre. S/He decides whether there will be real or pretend furniture (such as cubes or chairs). S/He also decides where all the different settings will be located on stage. The designer drafts diagrams so the carpenter can build the set, which will then be painted by either the designer or the scenic artist. - Costume Designer: the person who chooses what clothes the actors will wear. The costume designer decides how each actor should look to represent the character and time period. The designer will sometimes shop for clothing or may create some costumes from scratch. - Props Designer: the person who provides all of the objects used during the play. This person either buys or creates everything that the actors might need to convey the story. - Sound Designer: the person that creates all of the sound effects and music for the play. The sound designer creates the noises that are heard, such as when someone rings a doorbell or a telephone rings. - Lighting Designer: the person that provides the lighting for the play. The designer decides what colors the lights should be to complement the sets and costumes.
IV. Further Information E.B. White s Biography http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/e._b._white Site developed by second-grade class about Charlotte's Web. Includes chapter summaries and interactive quizzes. http://www2.lhric.org/pocantico/charlotte/ Lesson Plans for teaching Charlotte s Web http://www.murrieta.k12.ca.us/alta/dfuller/charlotte/ Salutations, Wit and Wisdom from Charlotte s Web, E.B. White, Pictures by Garth Williams. V. Recommendations You and your class might want to read - J.M. Barrie s Peter Pan - E.B. White s Stuart Little - Beatrix Potter, The Tale of Peter Rabbit - Mother Goose Nursery Rhymes
Vocabulary/Spelling List runt: the smallest animal of a litter. specimen: a sample. salutations: greetings; hello. terrific: exciting. slops: waste food used to fee pigs. radiant: to emit rays; glowing. humble: not proud; near to the ground. conspiracy: a treacherous plot. miraculous: as if by a miracle. injustice: a wrong. Great Quotations from the Charlotte s Web Charlotte: People believe almost anything they see in print. Templeton: A rotten egg is a regular stinkbomb. Charlotte: We must advertise Wilbur s qualities, not his tastiness. The Goose: An hour of freedom is worth a barrel of slops. Wilbur: It is not often that someone comes along who is a true friend and a good writer. Charlotte was both. Animals & their Babies 1. A swine gives birth to a pig. 2. A cow gives birth to a calf. 3. A horse gives birth to a foal. 4. A goose lays eggs that hatch goslings. 5. A chicken lays eggs that hatch chicks. 6. A sheep gives birth to a lamb. 7. A duck lays eggs that hatch ducklings. 8. A goat gives birth to a kid.
Spider Facts Spiders have eight legs. Each leg has seven joints. This makes it easy to move around. The front part of a spider s body is a combination of the head and thorax. The abdomen, in the rear, contains silk spinning organs. Spiders produce a silk-like thread from six spinnerets located n the abdomen. Inside are 100-1,000 spinning tubes plus extra large tubes called spigots. Many different kinds of silk thread can be spun by a spider for many different uses. The silk can be used to make egg sacs, to line nests, to weave webs or to tie up victims. If twisted into a rope, some spiders thread would be stronger than iron wire. Mother spiders make a silken sac in which they lay their eggs. They may lay from 1 to 3,000 eggs at a time. Spiders hatch in the spring or fall. The babies leave their cocoon and climb to the highest spot they can find, leaving a long strand of gossamer (silk thread). The slightest breeze will carry them away in the air like a parachute. Pig Facts Pigs weigh about two and a half pounds at birth, and usually double their weights the first week. Adult pigs are called hogs. Hogs belong to the pig family called Suidae. Hogs have thick skin and no sweat glands to serve as a cooling system. They wallow in the mud to keep cool. The hog s snout has a broad, leathery pad that includes the nostrils. The snout is very sensitive. Hogs often use their snouts to dig for vegetable roots, one of their favorite foods. Hogs have four toes one each foot. Each toe ends in a hoof. Hogs reach full growth at around 2 years of age and can live from 9 to 15 years.
Classroom Discussions and Activities 1. Charlotte uses her special talents to save her friend, Wilbur. She makes a plan, organizes the animals and spins words in her web. o Write a story where you use your special talents to help a friend. 2. In the book and the play, Fern persuades her father not to kill Wilbur. o Write and deliver a persuasive speech to convince Fern s father to spare Wilbur s life. 3. Zuckerman s barn was a perfect place for Wilbur to live. Fern had to go there everyday to take care of him. Taking care of a Wilbur was a big responsibility for Fern. o What things did Fern do in the play to care for Wilbur? o If you could have a pet in the world, what would it be? o Create a chart of all the things you would need to care for this pet. o Create a schedule to care for your pet. What is needed daily, weekly, monthly and yearly? 4. In the book and play, a reporter comes to the Zuckerman Farm to see the amazing pig and the words Some Pig written in the spider web above his pen. o Pretend you are that newspaper reporter who first discovers Wilbur under Charlotte s web and write a newspaper article about the amazing pig at Zuckerman s Farm. 5. Joseph Robinette adapted the play, Charlottes Web, from the book by E.B. White. o Adapt your favorite story into a play. o What will the characters say to each other? o What sort of action will take place? o Where does the action take place? o What is the problem to solve or a crisis in your story? o Conflict and how it gets resolved is the basis of all good stories and plays. 6. The Zuckerman Farm is home to a variety of different animals with individual opinions and ways of doing things, but as members of a community they must find ways to work cooperatively. Communication and cooperation are just as important in our own culturally diverse community. o What are some things you can do in your neighborhood to learn more about its many diverse inhabitants?