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A children's play opening this weekend will bring a familiar story from Arthurian legends to life onstage, and let kids in the audience become part of the action.

"Sword in the Stone," a Gemini Theater production that opens Saturday and plays for a month on weekends, tells the story of young Arthur, or "Wart," and his quest to become a knight and eventually a king. Wart doesn't feel he needs to learn anything in order to be a knight, but Merlin, the wizard, humbles him by insisting on lessons. The wizard turns Wart into three animals -- a fish, owl and badger -- so he can learn how to relate to many types of folks. Merlin also gives Wart sword lessons and other challenges to refine him.

"Merlin wants him to learn from experience so that he has a true appreciation for all of life on earth," says Jill Jeffrey, director of "Sword in the Stone" and director of marketing and outreach for the Point Breeze theater.

Cast members -- including six adults and about a dozen children -- invite kids in the audience to participate in the action and engage with their characters. In one scene, for instance, the audience "sings" a song just by sign language, with background music, in order to guide Wart. Audience members also get fencing lessons. They also become the same animals into which Merlin transforms Wart, so kids can pretend to fly around like owls and to dig like badgers.

"I think what kids ... are going to enjoy, is that there's a lot of interaction in this," Jeffrey says. "I think they're really going to like the music. It ranges from upbeat things ... to ethereal and mystical."

"Sword in the Stone" -- based on the novel by T.H. White -- has the medieval charm and themes of stories set in England during the Middle Ages, Jeffrey says. It has some of the feel of a fairy tale, but a more mature storyline that will let kids feel more grown up, she says. Boys might relate to Wart, Jeffrey says, especially those who want to be somebody but don't want to go to school.

After Wart's lessons, the story continues with the death of England's king, and the people's belief that there is no heir to the throne. Mysteriously, a sword appears in a stone outside a London church, and the sword's handle states that only the rightful heir can pull it out.

Wart, seeking a sword for a fencing tournament, comes upon the magic sword, pulls it out easily and discovers the secret: He is the next king, and has learned his lessons.

"Overall, it's a coming-of-age story teaching a young boy that no matter what he's going to be ... and how wonderful he will be, he truly needs to embrace others and have compassion for others," Jeffrey says.

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