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  • 1.  Charlotte's Web web ideas?

    Posted 09-02-2017 20:29
    Hi all! Our school is doing Charlotte's Web this fall. I'm needing some successful ideas for how you made the web and how you changed out the words for the web. Thanks!

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    Maralie Medlin
    Theatre Arts Educator
    Gastonia, NC
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  • 2.  RE: Charlotte's Web web ideas?

    Posted 09-03-2017 10:54



    I directed CW about six years ago. I used a low grade rope, maybe the kind for a clothesline, and had students cut lengths and hot glue into a web shape. Then they braided other lengths to form the letters and tied them together so they were laid on top of the web. The idea was inspired by the paper banner letters people hang for happy birthday. It was easy and looked good.

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    Benjamin Sims
    Theatre Arts Teacher
    Union County Public Schools
    Indian Trail NC

    Author of Before Dorothy, based on the characters of L. Frank Baum.
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    Original Message


  • 3.  RE: Charlotte's Web web ideas?

    Posted 09-03-2017 13:13
    If I remember correctly, when we did "Charlotte's Web" years ago, we made all of the webs out of a heavy, textured yarn. I believe we had a student braid or finger sew the web to make it larger and easier to see. The webs were black and the words that Charlotte put into the web were made in a lighter color yarn. I think the yarn made the letters more "spidery," if that's a thing. :) All of the webs were pre-hung so Charlotte could drop one web and put up the next in full view of the audience. I attached 2 pictures below. One lets you see the webs without words (and, if you look in the doorway, the web with words waiting to go up). The other shows the web with "Some Pig" woven into it. Hope that helps!

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    Patrick McGuire
    Drama Director
    Round Lake High School
    Round Lake, IL
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    Original Message


  • 4.  RE: Charlotte's Web web ideas?

    Posted 09-03-2017 15:20
    Charlotte had her own area on a second level of the barn. She had a basic web about 5 - 6 feet wide and 3 - 4 feet high. Some pieces of the cloth web were velcro so she could easily move them to different positions. Each word was pre-made as a single piece and hidden from audience view but accessible to Charlotte. So at times she actually moved pieces and at times she pretended to spin letters, until she reached down, lifted the entire word and elegantly placed (attached) it on the web. I hope that makes sense.



    Original Message


  • 5.  RE: Charlotte's Web web ideas?

    Posted 09-04-2017 21:08
    Our web was similar to what Rob described.  Our web was a heavy duty rope that we used to create the web - we actually untwisted it at points and slipped another end through it, if that makes sense, then spray painted the whole thing white

    The words were actually heavy duty interfacing from the fabric store.  We cut out the letters and then attached them to strips of muslin.  Each word was in it's own container on the second story of the barn.  Charlotte knew where they all were, but the audience couldn't see them.  Then she "wove" them in the the web by wrapping the end of the muslin strop (we left them long) around the web rope, draping it across, and doing the same at the other end.  Hopefully you can kind of see what I mean in the photo.

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    Laura Steenson
    Theatre Director
    Reynolds High School
    Troutdale OR
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    Original Message


  • 6.  RE: Charlotte's Web web ideas?

    Posted 09-07-2017 07:26
    We did CW two years ago, and used black tinsel for the web and wrapped premade cardboard letters from Michael's with shades of grey yarn for the letters. Pieces of black velcro allowed it to be easily manipulated. It was definitely less technical than other ideas, but no less magical with lighting and blocking assistance.

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    Amber Perkins
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    Original Message


  • 7.  RE: Charlotte's Web web ideas?

    Posted 09-08-2017 10:04
    Thanks for the ideas everyone! This is a good start for brainstorming. My main concern is how Charlotte weaves while hiding "secret" web-making method from the audience until the reveal.

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    Maralie Medlin
    Theatre Arts Educator
    Gastonia, NC
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    Original Message


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