Scene design is more than providing actors the pieces with which they interact. It is part of creating the story’s whole world. In the Northwestern College Theatre Department’s 2021 children’s show, Charlotte’s Web, based on E.B. White’s classic novel and adapted by Joseph Robinette, all aspects of the show sought to draw in the eyes and imaginations of the thousands of children that graced our seats. From the arena seating arrangement to giant sparkling spiderwebs in each vomitorium, I wanted to create an immersive experience that enveloped the audience in the whimsy of talking animals and the realism of a quaint, but messy little farm. An abstract, architectural barn without right angles embraced eccentricity in its shape while an earthy painted floor grounded the environment. This balance of fantasy and realism in design harmonized with the story’s wisdom and the playfulness of its characters to represent the little universe into which we invited the audience
