`Hansel and Gretel’ tells gentle story of caring

Most everyone knows the tale of “Hansel and Gretel,” about two children who are abandoned in the wood, captured by a gingerbread witch, and, through their own resourcefulness, save their own lives and reunite with their parents. Through June 30, the Theatre of the Enchanted Forest is retelling the story in a way the whole family is sure to enjoy.

The show takes us into the deep woods of a family, whose poverty has robbed them of their love and honesty. In this adaptation, a series of tragical and magical events teach the household the value of looking into each other’s hearts. Wizardly eyeglasses and an ear trumpet facilitate the lessons that Hansel and Gretel’s family must learn. But the lesson for us is that eyes which truly see and ears which willingly listen are the best tools for building a community of love and truth.

The TEF production, directed by University of Maine theater professor Al Cyrus, is never preachy about this important moral. Cyrus keeps the show funny and fun, rather than tritely obvious, even though the script is filled with cliches and redundancies.

But the actors manage to make their own stage business lively and interesting enough to distract sufficiently from the lack of originality or intellectual challenge in the writing. In fact, the choice to mime props, rather than use of actual objects, is at times too distracting.

Performances by Ethan Hall, as Hansel, and Jasmine Ireland, as Gretel are particularly impressive. These two teen-aged actors develop solid characters through the use of animated expressions, agile body movements and purposeful stage business.

Mary Olson and David Wells, as the parents and, later, two sides of the gingerbread witch, allow the younger actors to take the limelight, but offer strong performances of their own. Olson’s forceful stepmother is enough to send any child into the woods, and Wells is particularly entertaining as the Poison Witch, whose voice and character may remind some viewers of the bad witch from the movie “The Wizard of Oz.”

Burlap rags hang from the ceiling of this multileveled set designed by Wayne Merritt. And around every corner there seems to be something delightfully unexpected: a turnstile-like tree, colored strobe lights, a catwalk, a seesaw bridge, a red-flaming oven. With its many twists and turns and surprises, this set is more simply creative than some of the extravagant local playgrounds that have become so fashionable.

Live musical accompaniment by Bronwyn Kortge adds to the forest mood. The synthesized sounds, which are sometimes cartoonish and sometimes spooky, sharpen the onstage action.

“Hansel and Gretel” will be performed 7 p.m. June 22, 28 and 29, and 2 p.m. June 23 and 30 at the University of Maine Pavilion Theatre in Orono. For more information or reservations, call 945-0800.