Recognizing that art has the power to heal, Michigan State University’s Department of Theatre is offering free tickets to all MSU students for its production of Charlotte’s Web as one way of showing its support for our Spartan students. MSU students can get a free ticket at the door for any Charlotte’s Web performance by showing their MSU ID.
The show will open on Wednesday, Feb. 22, at 7 p.m. with a Sensory-Friendly Performance and will run through Sunday, Feb. 26, in the Fairchild Theatre. This production is family friendly for all ages.
More than 80 MSU students have been working for close to four months to bring this production to the stage with all the actors, stage managers, and house managers being students. MSU students also designed and built all the costumes, sets, props, lights, sounds, and projections.
“The student artists and faculty are back to put beautiful things into the world,” said Dr. Ann Folino White, Director and Associate Professor of Theatre. “Our students have been working to build this production since November. The show is about the power of community and friendship and we hope people will join our students for this experience.”
“The student artists and faculty are back to put beautiful things into the world…The show is about the power of community and friendship and we hope people will join our students for this experience.”
Ann Folino White, Director and Associate Professor of Theatre
Adapted by Joseph Robinette and based on E.B. White’s loving story of a pig named Wilbur and a little gray spider named Charlotte, this treasured tale explores bravery, selfless love, and the true meaning of friendship. When Wilbur has a problem — how to avoid winding up as pork chops — Charlotte weaves a solution that not only makes Wilbur a prize pig but ensures his place on the farm forever.
MSU students and ticket buyers also will have an opportunity to sign up for one of the free presentations and tours at the MSU Bug House, the MSU South Campus Animal Farm, or backstage at the Fairchild Theatre. Tours run on Saturday, Feb. 25, and Sunday, Feb. 26, from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. The matinee performances on Feb. 25 and 26 also will include interactive pre-show activities from 12:30 to 1:30 p.m. featuring “Meet and Greet a Michigan Farmer” along with chicks and lambs, plus “Become an Animal” stations.
The Sensory-Friendly Performance on Feb. 22 will include a pre-show workshop and social narrative at 6 p.m. as well as alternative activity areas and sensory supports throughout the performance. These activities will be hosted by the MSU Sense-Ability Ensemble, a troupe of students trained to create theatrical performances for audiences that are neurodiverse. To register for pre-show activities at the Sensory-Friendly Performance or for more information, contact Dionne O’Dell at odelldio@msu.edu.
“These events are designed to reduce barriers to theatre access and provide enrichment activities for young learners by encouraging children to see themselves as future artists and scientists, kindle their curiosity, and give them the tools for exploration,” Folino White said.
Tickets for Charlotte’s Web are $20 for general admission, $15 for MSU faculty/staff and seniors, and $10 for children 12 and younger. Tickets are available online at whartoncenter.com, at the Wharton Center box office, or by calling 1-800-WHARTON.
Performance Dates and Times
- Wednesday, Feb. 22, at 7 p.m.*
- Thursday, Feb. 23, at 7 p.m.
- Friday, Feb. 24, at 7 p.m.
- Saturday, Feb. 25, at 2 p.m.
- Saturday, Feb. 25, at 7 p.m.
- Sunday, Feb. 26, at 2 p.m.
*denotes Sensory-Friendly Performance
Funding for the tours, pre-show activities, and Sensory-Friendly Performance is made possible in part by a grant from Michigan Humanities, an affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities.
For more information on the show and other MSU Department of Theatre productions, visit: https://theatre.msu.edu/2022-2023-season/.
