Theater students brought to life the classic childhood story “Charlotte’s Web” on Oct. 26 and 27.
“Honestly, it was really exciting because I started theater in third grade, and I mainly just had ensemble roles. So being a lead was a big change,” said freshman Estella Smelko.
“Wilbur, the pig is very afraid of dying and is Charlotte’s best friend,” said Smelko who was the lead for the play with the role of Wilbur the pig.
“It’s always been my goal to be a lead but I thought I wouldn’t be able to get it until senior or junior year,” said Smelko.
Many freshmen don’t get the chance to be a lead, but Smelko was a special case.
Smelko originally auditioned for the role of “Fern” and while looking at the cast list she saw her name was not by Fern, so she was a little disappointed.
“I scrolled down, saw where my name was, and I was like ‘Wilbur, wait I got the lead?’ I honestly couldn’t believe it,” said Smelko.
“My favorite part is when we do a chase scene because this is the first time I’ve ever done a chase scene in a production, we got to run around the auditorium,” said Smelko.
During the play, they did a scene where Smelko’s character Wilbur was being chased around by the cast, and the audience was immersed in this scene and they were able to be included in the play itself.
“All the people are nice, and I love finding my group within all the theater kids,” said Smelko.
“This cast, we had the most fun with it. I think the variety of people that we had doing the show was fun,” said senior Brenna Rosenbaum, who played Lurvy.
“Having to play a guy and change all my mannerisms to seem more chill,” said Rosenbaum when she reflected on what the biggest challenges were during the play.
“My favorite scene was probably either Addison’s scene where he is this big pig or the one where I throw water on Kingston,” said Rosenbaum.
Senior Addison Confer performed a scene where he was one of the other contesting pigs alongside Wilbur at a state fair. Confer was in a large blow-up pig costume, which made the whole audience burst out in laughter watching him wobble across the stage.
“I wasn’t sure about it at first. It seemed like nothing we’d ever done before. But once we started rehearsals and everything, it was a lot of fun,” said Rosenbaum.
“Charlotte’s Web” was different from many of the plays MAHS has done in the past. However, the audience responded positively to the immersive experience.
“Getting to run around the audience and be covered in straw for a majority of the past two weeks has been a lot of fun,” said Rosenbaum.
“I wouldn’t consider myself an ‘actor first’ so this pushed me out of my comfort zone and helped me develop my stage presence,” said senior Andrew Ware, who played the character Avery Arable, a nine-year-old boy desperate for attention. He is a supporting role, and the brother of the character “Fern.”
Ware’s performance had the audience always laughing, Avery is a very loud and dramatic character who requires a lot of energy and Ware performed extremely well despite the challenges.
“Typically in past shows I’ve been in, I’ve relied on my singing and dancing to carry me through a performance,” said Ware.
Ware has been in seven shows since his eighth-grade year, and this spring he will be participating in his eighth show as Scuttle in “The Little Mermaid.” He has also been a competitive dancer since he was five years old, he said.
Ware shared how preparing for “Charlotte’s Web” differed from other productions he’s been in.
“Rehearsal schedule and overall cast demeanor, it was a lot more laid back,” he said. “Instead of daily rehearsals, it was only Tuesdays and Thursdays, making the whole experience a lot more manageable.”
(Feature Photo) The cast of “Charlotte’s Web” bows to the audience after performing. Students from Lyter Elementary went to the high school to see the fall play during their school day.
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