Neil Gaiman's novel "Stardust" is remarkable in that it feels quite like a fairy tale from your childhood, although it was written long after anything the Brothers Grimm cooked up. All the elements are there: magic, a quest, the search for true love, surprisingly gruesome violence and even humor. Most of that feeling has been recaptured in Griffin Theatre's world premiere stage adaptation of the novel, now playing at Theatre Building Chicago.
When a young man, Tristan Thorn (Kevin Kingston), from the small village of Wall, vows that he will recover a fallen star from the land of Faerie in exchange for his beloved's hand in marriage, he couldn't foresee the amount of trouble he'd be getting into. It turns out that the star is not some lump of metal, but an injured, indignant and strong willed young lady (Jennifer Grace). To make matters worse, other creatures with dark motives are seeking the star as well: a Witch Queen (Vanessa Greenway) intent on harvesting the star's heart to regain youth and power, and the sons of the Lord of Stormhold, who must find the star in order to determine their kingdom's succession. Through these and other dangers, Tristan and the star struggle to return to the village, where Tristan finds he must make a different choice than he originally thought.
Director Dorothy Milne, who is also the artistic director of Lifeline Theatre, is an old hand at adapting often-fantastical situations effectively to the stage. A hat is snatched as if by magic from someone's head. Transformations occur in full sight of the audience, from old to young (anyone who's done "Into the Woods" would envy how quickly and effectively that particular change is pulled off), and from human to a variety of animals, using conventional but buyable theater tricks. A dwarf makes an appearance (with the help of, unless I miss my guess, some sort of swivel chair on wheels), as well as a unicorn.
A supporting cast of actors playing as many as five completely different roles helps create the fantasy world of the play, with especially fine work by Karyn Morris as the hedge witch Madam Semele. As the Witch Queen and Lord Primus of Stormhold, Vanessa Greenway and David Blixt bring a passion and commitment to their roles that can be described as positively Shakespearian. And at the center of it all is Kevin Kingston, as the bemused Tristan.
Most importantly, the play isn't too proud to laugh at itself on occasion. The ever-increasing ranks of ghost sons of the Lord of Stormhold (killing each other is another way of assuring the succession) are mostly played for laughs, offering deadpan commentary on the actions around them. It's with a twinkle in her eye that the Witch Queen delivers the line, "The squirrel has not yet found the acorn that will grow into the oak that will be cut to form the cradle of the babe who will grow to slay me." And let's face it, a guy in a dress is always funny.
While "Stardust" will hold the most attraction for fans of Neil Gaiman's work, it's also perfectly charming and appealing on its own merits.
Theatre Building Chicago; 1225 W. Belmont; (773) 327-5252; $23. Through June 26; 7:30 p.m. Thursday-Saturday; 3 p.m. Sunday.
