Remembering The Process by Resident Actor Sarah Claire Smith

Tonight is opening night of Charlottes Web and looking back at this rehearsal process brings a smile to my face.  Watching and taking part in creating the characters in this play was a wonderful experience. Each actor in the show had the task of bringing to life E. B Whites beloved characters. From the Goose and the Gander to the farm hand Lurvy, the possibilities for character development were endless.  

In the beginning of the process, we all took a few minutes to walk around the rehearsal hall as farm animals. This was wonderful for the kids who would be playing cows, roosters, geese, and sheep. The human characters also had the joy of the play being set in the 1950’s and in the South. This gave us lots to work with and rich, LARGE characters to discover. Watching the kids, and my fellow resident actors’ characters grow has been exciting and often hilarious. We spent a good amount of rehearsal laughing and enjoying the silliness, heart and depth of these endearing characters.