Sauk To Present Outdoor CHARLOTTE'S WEB

The magical world of E.B. White's classic novel will come to life at the Hillsdale County Fairgrounds when The Sauk presents CHARLOTTE'S WEB for eight performances, Sept. 18-20 and 24-27.

Adapted for the stage by Joseph Robinette, all the enchanting characters from the celebrated novel 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." Determined to save Wilbur, Charlotte begins her campaign with the "miracle" of her web in which she writes, "Some pig." It's the beginning of a victorious campaign which ultimately ends with the now-safe Wilbur doing what is most important to Charlotte. This is a beautiful, knowing story about friendship.

The cast is led by Noah Honeywell as Wilbur and Gianna Green as Charlotte. Honeywell portrayed Ralph in last season's production of "Lord of the Flies." Green portrayed Babette in "Beauty and the Beast" and Sophie in "Mamma Mia!" at The Sauk in 2019. The cast also includes Sauk veterans Rickie Freeman (Narrator, Gander, Uncle, President of the Fair), Mike Sutton (Avery, Zuckerman, Sheep), Savannah Durocher (Fern, Goose) and Josh Lightner (Templeton, Lurvy, Arable). Freeman and Sutton have been involved at The Sauk for over 30 years. Durocher and Lightner both joined The Sauk in the past two seasons.

The production is directed by Sauk Executive Director Trinity Bird with stage management by Mandee Leigh Howard. The design team consists of Bird (set), Meaghan Bryant (costumes), Mari Nunez (lighting), Bruce Crews (sound) and Cyndi Baldermann (properties).

Performances of "Charlotte's Web" are Sept. 18-20 and 24-26 at 7 p.m. Matinees will be performed at 3 p.m. on Sept. 20 and 27. Tickets range in price from $12 to $8. The Sept. 20 evening performance is a pay what you can performance. Sept. 24 is $5 senior night. Performances are at the Hillsdale County Fairgrounds in Hillsdale. Tickets can be purchased online now at www.thesauk.org or by calling 517-849-9100.

Carnival food and carnival games will be available before the show and during intermission.

Audiences are asked to bring their own seating - lawn chairs and/or blankets. Patrons will be asked to wear masks when entering and exiting the performance space. Temperatures will be taken upon entry. A complete list of safety procedures and protocols can be found at www.thesauk.org.

"This beautiful story of friendship is more timely than ever," Bird said. "The opportunity to share this story with our community and to do it at the fairgrounds is extremely special."

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