Hinkletown Mennonite School (HMS) middle school students will present "Charlotte's Web" on Friday and Saturday, Feb. 24 and 25, at the school campus, 272 Wanner Road, Hinkletown (Ephrata). A dinner theater will be presented at 5:30 p.m. on Feb. 24, with tickets required, followed by performances at 2 and 7 p.m. on Feb. 25.

The show is based on the book of the same name by E.B. White. Charlotte the spider, Wilbur the pig, and various other animals, along with Fern the little girl, show the growth and power of friendship as they work together to save Wilbur. Riley Ament, a sixth-grader, plays Fern. She has previously acted in productions at Servant Stage, Cavod Academy, and EPAC. The cast also includes seventh-grader Lily Zimmerman as Charlotte and seventh-grader Eve Martin as Wilbur.

All of the nearly 70 middle school students at HMS are involved in the production, with jobs ranging from acting and working the sound system to staffing the concession stand. Jeremy Horning, middle school coordinator and teacher, noted that the production demonstrates to students that they all have natural gifts.

Becky Degan continues in her directing role at HMS. She has been leading productions at the school since 2018, including "Anne of Green Gables," "The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe" and "Pollyanna." In December 2022, she directed the first HMS high school drama production, "Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol: A Radio Play." Degan is the associate pastor of worship and Christian education at Forest Hills Mennonite Church in Leola.

HMS has offered drama productions to the local community since 1988.

For the dinner theater, separate fees have been set for adults and for children age 4 through grade eight. Admission is free for children age 3 and under. There is a general admission fee for the Saturday performances. For more details and reservations, call 717-354-7100 or visit http://www.hinkletownschool.org/events/drama.