Sleeping Beauty, Briar Rose

When a prince wanders into an unfamiliar forest while hunting a deer, he comes upon a woman sitting among the ruins of an old kingdom. As the young woman tells the prince the story of the the abandoned castle, audience goers see the events as they occurred a hundred years earlier.

A king and queen long to have a child and heir to the throne, and, aided by Erda the forest fairy, their wish is granted. For the celebration of Princess Rose's birth, they invite a number of fairies, but not Erda.

Angered, Erda places a curse on Rose that on her 16th birthday Rose will prick her hand on a spindle and fall dead. The other fairies soften the curse by declaring she will simply sleep for a hundred years.

The king will not allow Rose to leave the castle walls in fear of her death. As Rose grows into a searching adolescent, her curiosity also grows. She meets Erda, who attempts to help her understand the wider world.

On her 16th birthday, Rose pricks her hand and falls into a deep sleep. As she sleeps, she dreams, and her dreams begin to answer her life-long questions. When Rose awakes, she and the world around her have changed, and the prince, having recognized her from the story he's being told, joins Rose as she emerges into her new life.

"Sleeping Beauty, Briar Rose" is based loosely on the tales as told by Charles Perrault and the Brothers Grimm.

Performances (at the Taunus Theater) are scheduled for:

• Sept. 26, 27, Oct 3, 4 and 17 -- at 2 p.m.
• Oct. 2 and 16 -- at 7 p.m.