All that I hope to say in books, all that I ever hope to say, is that I love the world. I guess you can find that in there, if you dig around.

–E.B. White (Author of Charlotte’s Web)

1. Charlotte’s Web was a sneeze.

Whenever E.B. White was asked why he wrote Charlotte’s Web, he replied: “I haven’t told why I wrote the book, but I haven’t told you why I sneeze, either. A book is a sneeze.“ [1]

 

2. The real Wilbur had a more tragic story…

When E.B. White was a child, he spent a lot of time raising pigs. He bonded a lot with a sick, runt pig, taking care of him much like Fern does Wilbur. Unfortunately, in spite of his best efforts, the pig did lose his life to illness. As a lifetime lover of animals, E.B. took the news hard, only finding hope after discovering an egg sack left behind by a spider. Which brings us to…

3. Charlotte was inspired by a real spider E.B. White saw on his farm in Maine in the fall of 1949.

He watched her make her egg sack while caring for the sickly pig, and then never saw her again. On impulse, before he left for New York, he cut the egg sack down, and put it in a candy box with holes punched at the top. Later, it hatched and a ton of baby spiders were let loose in the house. They were very small, almost invisible, and E.B. White greatly enjoyed their company. …his family was a little less pleased. In his words: “We all lived together happily for a couple of weeks, and then somebody whose duty it was to dust my dresser balked, and I broke up the show.” [2]

4. Charlotte’s middle and last name reference a specific type of spider.

Charlotte A. Cavatica speaks to Aranea cavatica, a species of barn spider. E.B. White did his research on this species, frequenting the American Museum of Natural History to research and discuss spiders with the curators. According to arachnologist B.J. Kaston, he originally wanted to name her Charlotte Epeira, because White originally thought the spider he saw in childhood was a gray cross spider: Epeira sclopetaria. [3]

5. 18 years after writing it E.B. White recorded an audio book for Charlotte’s Web.

The recording process was very smooth, except for the end. “Every time, he broke down when he got to Charlotte’s death… He took 17 takes to get through Charlotte’s death without his voice cracking or beginning to cry.” [4]

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CHARLOTTE’S WEB

Written by Joseph Robinette
Adapted from the book by E.B. White
Directed by Artie Olaisen

Recommended for ages 5 and up
April 29 – May 27, 2023

The best-loved children’s story of all time and winner of The Newbery Honor! Discover the true meaning of friendship and life’s everyday miracles. Get caught in Charlotte’s web to save Wilbur, the “radiant” and “humble” pig, and make friends once again with all his loveable barnyard neighbors. One of the first books ever written for children exploring issues of mortality, CHARLOTTE’S WEB is an emotional tribute to friendship with universal themes depicting courage, compassion, and the ever-changing cycle of life.

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CHARLOTTE’S WEB produced by special arrangement with Dramatic Publishing, Woodstock, Illinois.

Sources:
[1] https://www.cbcbooks[dot]org/2014/07/11/a-book-is-a-sneeze-e-b-white-on-why-he-wrote-charlottes-web/
[2] https://www.amnh[dot]org/explore/news-blogs/news-posts/e.-b.-white-s-charlotte-s-web-and-the-museum
[3] https://web.archive[dot]org/web/20200814081559/https://lettersofnote.com/2013/08/02/a-book-is-a-sneeze/
[4] https://www.npr[dot]org/2012/10/15/162735079/some-book-charlottes-web-turns-60
https://storywarren[dot]com/he-loved-the-world-a-short-biography-of-e-b-white/
https://archive.nytimes[dot]com/www.nytimes.com/books/97/08/03/lifetimes/white-tales.html

Image credits: https://commons.wikimedia[dot]org/wiki/File:EB_White_and_his_dog_Minnie.png
Photo by Maddy Weiss on Unsplash

“Where’s Papa going with that axe?”

…So begins Charlotte’s Web in one of the most iconic opening lines to a children’s book, ever.

Mortality is a tough topic for most people, and it’s an especially difficult one for children. From its opening line, Charlotte’s Web tells you what to expect. It lays out all the upsetting things: a loved one is holding an axe, a creature is slated to die because it is not as big or strong as its siblings. Instead, the thinking is that it will be used to feed others.

Charlotte’s Web is frank, it is honest, and most importantly, it doesn’t force the child to go along with it.

Fern does not let her father use that axe. Wilbur, the runt pig, survives, and survives, and survives on his own merits, and by the affection of others.  He is humble, he is terrific, he is loved.

That is the core of Charlotte’s Web: mortality is frightening, death can be lonely and sudden, but love outlasts even that anxiety.

By laying things out through the eyes of a child, of a pig, and a spider – who all just want the best for each other, it becomes a tremendously gentle introduction to concepts that never truly go away. It lets children wrestle with these life challenges alongside their animal friends, and in the end, helps them acknowledge that even though partings are difficult: true friendship has lasting power.

This is what keeps families coming back to Charlotte’s Web 71 years later. Not the death, …but the life. Not the parting, …but the friendship.

A spider’s web is stronger than it looks. Although it is made of thin, delicate strands, the web is not easily broken.

No one is easily broken. In Charlotte’s words:

A spider’s life can’t help being something of a mess, with all this trapping and eating flies. By helping you, perhaps I was trying to lift up my life a trifle. Heaven knows anyone’s life can stand a little of that.

Written by Joanna Coogan

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CHARLOTTE’S WEB

Written by Joseph Robinette
Adapted from the book by E.B. White
Directed by Artie Olaisen

Recommended for ages 5 and up
April 29 – May 27, 2023

The best-loved children’s story of all time and winner of The Newbery Honor! Discover the true meaning of friendship and life’s everyday miracles. Get caught in Charlotte’s web to save Wilbur, the “radiant” and “humble” pig, and make friends once again with all his loveable barnyard neighbors. One of the first books ever written for children exploring issues of mortality, CHARLOTTE’S WEB is an emotional tribute to friendship with universal themes depicting courage, compassion, and the ever-changing cycle of life.

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Title Sponsors

CHARLOTTE’S WEB produced by special arrangement with Dramatic Publishing, Woodstock, Illinois.
Wilbur’s New Friends, Charlotte’s Web, page 181 illustration by GM Williams, 1952
There Was the Handsome Pig Charlotte’s Web, page 95 illustration by GM Williams, 1952

As a friend to Dallas Children’s Theater, you’ve probably noticed our focus on Brighter Days for the past few years. While it began as a way to emphasize positivity during the lockdown, we have continued to use Brighter Days to describe our perspective on the future, both in the education and enrichment of our youth and in the trajectory of DCT. As we approach our 40th season, we are excited to proclaim that Brighter Days are here to stay!

Thanks to patrons and donors like you, we are approaching the end of our first complete season back with full in-person audience capacity. We are honored that you have been an essential part of helping us survive this past year. We would be grateful if you would consider making a donation in an amount that is meaningful to you so that we can continue to foster growth of North Texas children.

Your gift of $25, $50, $100, $250, or more is critical now more than ever.

With your support, we can look to our next season with confidence that we can meet the needs of the children that come through our doors. Whether a child is experiencing live theater for the first time on a field trip or finding a place of acceptance and understanding in our sensory-friendly classes, your donation is an important part of helping children blossom at this pivotal time in their young lives.

Please help us inspire Brighter Days through theater for children by making a gift of $25, $50, $100, $250, or more.

Sincerely,

P.S. Visit dct.org/give or text DCTGIVE to 44-321 and donate an amount that is meaningful to you! Be a part of keeping the future playfully bright for the children of North Texas.

Kindness is a language everyone knows…

Three years ago, for their son Milo’s 5th birthday, the Thompson family made a trip to Disney World wearing DCT’s Choose Kindness Shirts.

Here’s what they had to say:

Thank you for your kind words, Katie and Milo!

Time marches on, Milo is now 8 years old! The world is different than it was, but now, more than ever, we need to carry kindness, and the memory of the kindness of others in our hearts.

LAST STOP ON MARKET STREET closes this weekend. Don’t miss your chance to be inspired by this show that was three years in the making!

Saturday, April 1, 1:30PM
Sunday, April 2, 1:30PM

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