Charlotte's Web

One of the greatest achievements of E.B. White's 1952 novel Charlotte's Web is that it avoids talking down to children. Alongside the humor and hope inherent in a barn spider's selfless friendship with a runty pig, the tale illuminates the graver realities of nature and survival. First Stage's production of Charlotte's Web, which is staged this afternoon at 1 and 3:30 p.m. in the Marcus Center, doesn't fully eclipse these graver themes but focuses more on the tale's lyrical life/death cycle, investing it with a mystical quality that runs somewhat contrary to its earthy appeal, but should play well with very young audiences.