Serendipity Spins Pleasant ‘Charlotte’s Web’ at Coronet

With its humor, animal heroes and large themes, “Charlotte’s Web,” E.B. White’s gentle tale of friendship and sacrifice, life and death, is a natural for children’s theater.

The Serendipity Theatre Co.’s pleasant staging of the classic at the Coronet Theatre does well by both author and audience until the finale. In that scene, meant to help children accept death as part of the life cycle, a much-needed visual image is missing.

Until then, director Leona Sadobee carefully balances reflection and humor and keeps the eye busy with all the doings down on Zuckerman’s farm. Fine lead performances add depth (the cast is a mix of pros and non-pros).

Sam Kuglen as humble Wilbur the Pig and Katy Henk as Charlotte the Spider, who spins miracles so Wilbur won’t be turned into ham hocks, make the odd friendship seem true. The sweetness is cut just enough by Jeremy Scott as a delightfully grungy, grumpy Templeton the Rat.

The lighting design, by Cosmo Pterodactyl, frames the company nicely, as does set designer Ellis Pryce-Jones’ solid, raftered barn. The imaginative animal costumes are those that Dwight Richard Odle created originally for the South Coast Repertory Young Conservatory Players’ production.

But in a staging that is pretty much representational throughout, inspiration ran out: The audience must imagine the dramatic ending, when Charlotte’s carefully protected legacy--her egg sac--hatches. We don’t even see the three who decide to stay with Wilbur on the farm, there are only taped voices. Did someone leave Odles’ charming baby spider costumes at the cleaners?

“Charlotte’s Web.” Serendipity Theatre Co. at the Coronet Theatre, 366 N. La Cienega Blvd., Fridays, 7:30 p.m.; Saturdays, 2 and 7:30 p.m.; Sundays, 1 and 4 p.m. Ends Aug. 11. (213) 652-9199; tickets, $10 per adult, $6 per child age 13 and under. Running time: 1 hour, 40 minutes.