The story is set up by several cast members, who describe the farmland setting in White's evocative language. The action - which is staged on an ingenious gem of a set by Edie Whitsett - takes place on two farms and at a county fair, where the reality of raising pigs causes no end of distress to a young girl named Fern (a sparkling Joanne Brooks).
Common practice is to kill the runt of the litter when pigs are born, but Fern steps in to save one at her family farm, names the animal Wilbur and makes it a pet.
In true SCT fashion, the pig is portrayed by two puppets as it grows up, but Wilbur suddenly transforms into a live, talking character played by a human when he's almost full grown.
Alban Dennis shines as Wilbur in a well-developed and sensitive performance for the first half of the show's run; Rob Burgess will take over March 5.
Wilbur comes across as a goofy, but likable, pig in Catherine Meacham Hunt's minimalist costume (there's no snout as one might expect), but Wilbur initially has no idea of his probable future as food.
Fern at first doesn't think Wilbur will be slaughtered, either, but she does such a fine job raising him that her father starts thinking of selling him. That creates another crisis, which is averted when some relatives, the Zuckermans, buy the pig instead.
That's fine with Fern, who visits Wilbur almost every day. At the Zuckerman farm, the story shifts into high gear with the introduction of several barnyard characters. One of them is a cranky sheep played to good effect by Kymberli Colburn, who also does a fine job as Edith Zuckerman. Depicted with high silliness by a charming Kimber Lee, another is a goose who constantly repeats herself.
Yet another is a pack rat named Templeton. With rock-solid timing by a very funny Todd Jefferson, Templeton is a total hoot. Mostly concerned with his growing collection of possessions, the pack rat takes a liking to Wilbur because the pig lets him have leftovers from his slop trough.
Of course, one of the main characters in the story is Charlotte, a spider philosopher who has woven a huge web in the barn where Wilbur lives. She makes friends with Wilbur, which comes in real handy when Wilbur finds out Homer Zuckerman (a solid Eric Ray Anderson) plans to have him slaughtered.
Wilbur panics, but Charlotte - a dynamic and focused Leslie Law - comes up with a plan. Charlotte's idea is a little short on logic, but it does the trick, at least at first.
Charlotte weaves words into her web, the first of which are "Some Pig." And, while it's unclear in the play if the Zuckermans think Wilbur somehow managed to write the words or if Charlotte did, the upshot is Wilbur becomes famous.
However, his notoriety won't save his bacon, because Homer still plans to have Wilbur slaughtered. But Homer promises Fern he'll let Wilbur live if the pig wins a blue ribbon at the county fair. The climax of the play comes when Wilbur finds he's facing some hefty competition in the form of Uncle, a huge, self-satisfied porker played by Anderson.
The death of Charlotte, who reaches the end of her life cycle during the play, is presented as a natural event. So are the concepts of loyalty and friendship, which Wilbur demonstrates by saving Charlotte's egg sack and taking it back to the Zuckermans' barn, where hundreds of the arachnids are born.
"Charlotte's Web" is notable for its warm-fuzzy approach to life despite the very real problems the characters face. And, judging from the low fidget factor in the audience the day I saw the show, the production at Seattle Children's Theatre does E.B. White proud.
"Charlotte's Web" continues through March 30 at Seattle Children's Theatre, 201Thomas St. Tickets: $14.50 -$22.50. Information: 441-3322.
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