South Coast Rep Weaves a Beautiful ‘Web’

The energy level is high; not a cue is missed, not a line bobbled. Beautifully packaged as usual, South Coast Repertory’s Young Conservatory Players are presenting their newest offering, “Charlotte’s Web,” at the Orange County Performing Arts Center.

Under the direction of Diane Doyle, the members of South Coast’s theater arts training program (for 10-to-17-year-old non-professionals) rarely fail to show how competently they are taught the basics of their craft.

“Charlotte’s Web,” adapted by Joseph Robinette, is no exception. In Dwight Richard Odle’s wonderful animal costumes and on his cozy barnyard set, the young actors have all the mechanics down pat.

Young people in country dress serve as a chorus of narrators, sitting on hay bales, leaning against fence posts. Wilbur the Pig (Jeffrey Wilson) snuffles and grunts in his pen, grumpy Templeton the Rat (Saul Wheeler) keeps a sharp lookout for crumbs and the sheep and geese make comic entrances. Tiny youngsters dressed as baby Wilbur and three baby spiders are a captivating sight.

Julie Olson is a winning Charlotte. Slender and pretty, she maneuvers Odle’s elegant, multi-legged silver spider costume gracefully on her rooftop perch.

The players are less successful with the language of the play. At Saturday’s performance, the actors were word-perfect, but a general one-note delivery gave meaning to the words only on a superficial level. Young audience members understandably grew restless.

E. B. White’s gentle, poignant tale of friendship between a simple pig and a wise spider requires emotional depth to convey--and that is a bit trickier to learn.

Performances continue at 600 Town Center Drive in Costa Mesa , Friday , 7 p.m. ; Saturday and Sunday , 1:30 and 4 p.m. Ends Sunday. Tickets: $5; (714) 751-7827 or (714) 957-4033.