"Reluctant Lovers" at Warehouse PAC.

^[1]Warehouse Performing Arts Center in Cornelius will present a new one-act comedy over the next two weekends. “Reluctant Lovers” is by local writers Christian Hamilton and Rachel Jeffreys.

Meanwhile, tickets are now on sale for a youth theater production of “Charlotte’s Web” beginning April 17 at Davidson Community Players’ Armour Street Theater in Davidson. Also ahead, student-directed plays at Davidson College.

AT WAREHOUSE: ‘RELUCTANT LOVERS’

Warehouse Performing Arts Center in Cornelius will present a new one-act comedy over the next two weekends. “The Reluctant Lovers,” by local writers Christian Hamilton and Rachel Jeffreys, is described as a “one-act commedia of manners.”

The show features actors Karen Martin, Lou Dalessandro, Dinika Peeples, Andrew Adams, Douglas Welton, and Jack Wilson. Charleston, SC, 1899.
The Lady is in mourning…. STILL! The Governor pines and the jilted Captain disavows love as everyone secretly harbors lustful intentions amidst this garden of propriety and decorum. Following the long tradition of the commedia-of-manners genre, local playwrights Christian Hamilton & Rachel Jeffreys use wit and irony in this charming one-act, revealing that the act of resisting love is perhaps the most powerful aphrodisiac of all! Running time is approximately 65 minutes. Reluctant Lovers is a part of Warehouse Productions “Artists Among Us” series that
showcases the talent and artistry of local writers.

Performances are Fridays and Saturdays, April 9-10, 16-17 at 7:30 p.m., with doors open at 7. Matinees are Sundays April 11 and 18, 2:30 p.m., with doors open at 2 p.m.

Tickets are $10, are available via email at: tickets@warehousepac.com ^[2] or
via phone at 704-619-0429. Details: www.warehousepac.com ^[3]

The Warehouse is at 9216-A Westmoreland Rd., off Highway 21, Cornelius, just down from Tenders Restaurant and the BP gas station.

Charlotte's Web, at Armour Street Theatre.

CHARLOTTE’S WEB TICKETS ON SALE

The Connie Co., the children’s theater arm of Davidson Community Players, will open an all-youth production of the classic children’s story “Charlotte’s Web” by E.B. White April 17 at Armour Street Theatre.

The play is an adaptation by Joseph Robinnette and features a cast of all ages from throughout the region. It’s directed by Connie Co. teacher and director Wrenn Goodrum.

Based on the beloved story by E.B. White, Charlotte’s Web follows the life of Wilbur, a “runt” pig who escapes death when Fern, the daughter of poor farmer John Arable, begs her father to keep him as a pet. A few weeks later, Farmer John decides to sell Wilbur to Homer Zuckerman, another farmer, separating Wilbur from his best friend Fern and leaving him on a new farm of unfamiliar faces. Just when the lonely Wilbur becomes friends with Charlotte, a barn spider, and the other zany animals at the Zuckerman farm, the farm critters learn that Wilbur will soon become the family’s holiday dinner.

Charlotte, with the help of Templeton (a gluttonous rat), Gander, and all of Wilbur’s new friends, weaves a message in her web each night praising Wilbur. Her messages turn Wilbur into the most beloved pig in the county, saving him from the dinner table and ensuring him a long life on the farm. Charlotte’s Web delicately weaves a tale of friendship, loyalty, and loss that has captivated young readers for generations.

Ms. Goodrum chose to make this production a distinctly Southern tale by setting the action in rural North Carolina in 1952. Instead of narrators, she has three “Farm Ladies” purchase a copy of the book at the beginning of the show and help unfold the tale for the audience by interacting with the characters in the story.

The young actors often move in-and-out of the audience, blurring the lines between stage and viewer and allowing the entire group of youths, both actors and audience members, to have a crucial role in the story. This is the fourth production of “Charlotte’s Web” for Ms. Goodrum, who founded and directed her own children’s theatre company in Rhode Island, All Children’s Theatre.

Her young cast will showcase their many talents in this production, including an original song written by cast member Nikki Stephanek which has been incorporated into the show.

Charlotte’s Web will receive eight performances at the Armour Street Theatre: Saturday, April 17, Sunday, April 18, and Saturday, April 24, at 10 a.m. and 1 p.m., and on Sundays April 18 and 25, at 1 and 4 p.m. Tickets are $7. For reservations, call 704-892-7918. Recommended for Ages Four and Up

<strong.PLAYERS’ SUMMER CAMPS

Davidson Community Players is now accepting registration for summer camps for children ages 4 to 12, grouped by age. This year’s summer theme is “The Connie Company: Wild Wooly & Wonderful.” Each camp includes 15 hours of instruction in an authentic theater environment with snack included. Each camp culminates in a sharing for family and friends.

Register online at Davidson Parks & Rec, www.d-recs.org ^[4]. For scholarship information, contact Davidson Community Players at 704-892-7953.

DAVIDSON STUDENT PLAYS

Davidson College’s theater department will present two weekends of student-produced theater this month.

April 15-16 – A studio production created by the studio theatre class. $5 for general admission, and $3 for faculty, staff and students. 7:30 p.m. in the Barber Theatre of Cunningham Theatre Center. For reservations call 704-894-2135 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. weekdays. For information call 704-894-2361.

April 29-30 – Student-directed one-act plays Drop by Dana Madden and A Strange Kind of Romance by Tennessee Williams. $5 for general admission and $3 for faculty, staff, and students. 7:30 p.m. in the Barber Theatre of Cunningham Theatre Center. For tickets call 704-894-2135 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. weekdays. For more information, call 704-894-2361.