High Life : A WEEKLY FORUM FOR HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS : Students Display a Flair for the Dramatic : Arts: The children’s theater group at Tustin High School performed ‘Charlotte’s Web’ 20 times in two weeks for local elementary schools.

The Goose and the Gander looked like “bored people on their knees” five days before the curtain was to rise, drama teacher Lisa Roseman said.

Wilbur the pig was still unsure of his lines three days before he would be delivering them.

And at the dress rehearsal, the medal and ribbon that were to be awarded the protagonist of “Charlotte’s Web” turned out to be 2 inches short.

Still, at Tustin High School, the children’s theater presentation went on--and on, and on--to the tune of 20 performances in a span of two weeks for children from local elementary schools.

“I love children’s theater because it pays back instantly--instant gratification,” Roseman said. “You know when you’re doing bad because the kids wiggle around in their seats. And if they like it, they cheer and applaud and get involved with the performers.

“Children are the best part, because they don’t know that they can’t talk to the actors.”

To give the student actors and actresses from her Drama Workshop class some breathing room, Roseman had them double up on the roles.

E. B. White’s “Charlotte’s Web” features Wilbur the pig, whose life is threatened by a farmer’s knife before he is saved by Charlotte, the literate spider. Through the play’s course, Wilbur learns many valuable lessons--as did the cast of high school students.

The first few performances were not without their pitfalls.

“The words that I was supposed to spin in the web got stuck to me when I got up for my next line,” said senior Lisa Young, who played Charlotte. “All of a sudden, everyone was laughing and pointing at me and I didn’t know why.”

But Young wasn’t alone. Freshman Richard Andes, playing the part of Templeton the rat, remembered a blunder during his first performance.

“I totally massacred one part when I skipped to another scene and started talking about something that hadn’t even happened yet,” Andes said.

Still, since mistakes will be made, the young actors and actresses learned to cover them the best they could by ad-libbing.

“It was hard when others forgot their lines and you were left stranded on the stage,” said Rachel Federoff, who portrayed Wilbur. “But at least we learned how to do good improvisations.”

With each additional performance, nervousness was replaced by repetition, and the students began to rely on one another.

“I learned that it takes teamwork to put on a production. If there’s not any, it’s not going to work,” said freshman Martha Munoz, who played the part of the little girl, Fern. “It’s one of the most important elements in producing a play.”

Added Federoff: “It takes a lot of cooperation to make a play really good. After awhile, you start to form a feeling of family.”

One of the side benefits of the production was the amount of fan mail the students received from their young audience members.

“The thank-you notes from the kids were the best part; they really came from the heart,” Andes said.

“All the letters showed that the kids really enjoyed it,” Young said.

Though most of the younger audience members sent drawings, one upper-grade student wrote: “I hope to see it again. I was thrilled to see the play. I was so anxious to see it. I waited for months and months. Well, I got to see it and I liked it.”

Other cast members found enjoyment elsewhere.

“Well, candidly speaking,” senior Sean Eyrich said with a smile, “I guess the best part was seeing all the girls in the dressing room.”