By Janine Twining | Development Associate
Thank you for your generous support of Oregon Children’s Theatre!
The word is out, he’s “some pig,” “radiant,” “terrific!” A story of friendship, loss and love, Charlotte’s Web shines onstage. Intelligent, funny, and heartfelt, the book by E.B. White has captivated young readers for generations. When an affectionate pig named Wilbur is saved from slaughter and sent to live on a nearby farm, he finds a barnyard full of animals who quickly become family. But it’s the most unlikely of friends that prove to be his best — a spider named Charlotte who uses her skills to save Wilbur’s life once more, even as her own is slipping away. It’s the classic tale you know and love!
Charlotte’s Web is ranked #1 in “The Top 100 Children’s Novels” by School Library Journal.
Just over 23,000 students from 258 schools in Oregon and Southwest Washington attended a performance of Charlotte's Web. OCT provided full scholarships to 791 students. Teachers were offered a free professional development workshop in which they were able to preview the performance in advance of bringing their students and learn theater integration and skills from a classroom teacher and theater artist.
501 tickets were offered to our social service partners; Big Brothers/Big Sisters, St. Mary's Home for Boys, Friends of the Children, Shriners Hospital, Children's Cancer Association, Starlight Foundation, and Boys and Girls Clubs, DHS. These groups were also given the opportunity to participate in a backstage tour.
Seeing live theater is always a powerful experience for young people, and for many school audience members, it’s the only live arts experience they’ll have all year. Fan mail from students emphasizes the impact: “it was super fantastical—my favorite part was the whole thing.” “I did not want to leave, it was a blast.” Feedback from teachers illustrates that live theater is not only fun and engaging—it strengthens students’ appreciation of reading and language arts: “my students could not stop talking about [the play]. They were comparing their favorite parts, talking about what was funniest, and comparing it to the book.”
One of OCT’s goals as an organization is to provide school audiences with curriculum connections and opportunities for learning beyond students’ trip to the theater. Providing teachers with free resources is one of the ways that OCT deepens student experiences. Teachers receive complimentary tickets to preview performances and also attend backstage tours. Each OCT production also has a free teacher resource guide filled with discussion starters, activities tied to educational standards and learning goals, and reading resources provided by the Multnomah County Library.
Read the Charlotte's Web teacher resource guides:
http://octc.org/pdf/guides/charlottesweb_rg_before.pdf
http://octc.org/pdf/guides/charlottesweb_rg_ontheway.pdf
http://octc.org/pdf/guides/charlottesweb_rg_after.pdf
Charlotte's Web curriculum connections included:
Please feel free to contact us if we can provide any additional information about Charlotte's Web or Oregon Children's Theatre’s educational services for disadvantaged schools. Thank you again for your support!
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