Perryville High School's Silver Dagger players will present the children's classic "Charlotte's Web" with a special Sunday show.
"Performances are set for Thursday and Friday, Nov. 7-8, and Sunday, Nov. 10," said director Jennifer Birk-Cook. "There is no Saturday evening show because several of our cast members made the All-District Choir, which is on the same day."
The cast is currently in rehearsal as they prepare for this family-friendly play with a heart. Three seniors appearing in the play are Wyatt Duncan, Mason Cottner, Kathryn (Katie) Broeking and Grant Hotop.
Duncan, who plays Templeton the Rat, said he's been performing in plays since the seventh grade.
"I started with a Christmas play, and since high school, I've been in every play except for my sophomore year, when I skipped a musical.
Asked what he likes about appearing in plays, Duncan said, "The family aspect of it all. You can be picked on and kind of hated everywhere else, but you come here, and it's just you find other people that are picked on and hated, and you relate to each other, and you care about each other and you. Even when there are disagreements, you still work it out."
Duncan likes the character he portrays in Charlotte's Web.
"I like Templeton the Rate a lot because he's funny," he said. "The play, in general, is very funny, but it's also kind of tragic because some characters don't make it to the end."
Cottner, the announcer, has been performing in plays since eighth grade and likes the chance to wear costumes.
"The costumes are nice," he said. "I like them. They're comfortable. I get to show off. I like the environment. It's very nice and very friendly. You get to meet a lot of people, and it's also helped me to conquer my fear of being around people or even speaking like this. It's made it so much better over the years."
According to Cottner, the play is worth coming to.
We've got some really good actors, and they portray their characters well. The actor playing Wilbur this year is fantastically good. Templeton is doing good as well. Avery, one of the younger actors this year, is also doing good with memorization and everything."
Broeking, who plays the title character of Charlotte, said this is probably her eighth show to perform in since seventh grade. She noted that curiosity led her to perform in her first play.
"It was the first time that our school started doing a drama program, so I just wanted to try it and see if I liked it," she said. "I like playing the part of Charlotte because she's very complicated. It's more complicated than the other parts I've played. She's definitely more mature, and I don't think you always know what she's thinking in the lines I've read.
"Normally, I try to watch a movie or some sort of media before I try and play the character, but I haven't found anything like Charlotte's Web that's free online, so I'm just kind of going off the script. It's a fun show, and those who come will have a unique experience."
Hotop, who plays Lurvy the helping hand, describes himself as the comic relief in the play.
And why does he like the character he's portraying?
"I probably like the spunk, the humor and how he's outgoing.
Hotop said he's enjoying performing in the play "because it's such a loving cast." He also hopes to continue appearing in plays once he graduates high school.
"It's just a life for me," he said. "My brothers and sisters were all big sportspeople. This is my sport."
Tickets are $7 each at the door. Performances are held in the Old Senior High Performing Arts Auditorium at 400 Edwards St.
This version is based on the E.B. White novel and was adapted by Joseph Robinette. The Children's Literature Association named it "the best American children's book of the past 200 years."
All the enchanting characters are here: Wilbur, the irresistible young pig who desperately wants to avoid the butcher; Fern, a girl who understands what animals say to each other; Templeton, the gluttonous rat who can occasionally be talked into a good deed; the Zuckerman family; the Arables; and, most of all, the extraordinary spider, Charlotte, who proves to be "a true friend and a good writer."
The cast includes Sofia Buerck as Fern, Josie Lohmann as Wilbur, Libby Hemman as young Wilbur, and Katie Broeking as Charlotte. Jared Stortz performs as John Arable, Anelia Miller as Martha Arable, and Dewey Warren as Avery Arable. Blake Bodendieck plays Homer Zuckerman, Chloe Cox plays Edith Zuckerman, Grant Hotop plays Lurvy, Wyatt Duncan is Templeton, Sarah Coldwell is Goose, Riley Kemp is Gander, and the Little Goslings are played by Yasmin Tripp, Elizabeth Brown, Lacey Klassen, Faith Camarillo, Libby Hemman, and Mila Bachmann. Taylor Ebersohl is the sheep, Taylor Cox is the lamb, Abigail Bridges and Scout Baskin are the members, Yasmin Tripp is the reporter, and Uncle is played by
John Cross and Riley Kemp. Mila Bachmann and Faith Camarillo play Uncle's fan club. Mason Cottner plays the announcer, and the spectators are Taylor Ebersohl and Eloise Bollinger. The fairgoers are played by Yasmin Tripp, Eloise Bollinger, and Taylor Ebersohl. The baby spiders are played by Taylor Cox, Sarah Coldwell, and Yasmin Tripp. The judges are played by Mason Cottner, Eloise Bollinger, and Taylor Ebersohl. Henry Fussy is played by Riley Kemp. The stage manager for "Charlotte's Web" is Ryleigh Schulein, and the set designer is Adam Duncan.
