‘In One Basket’ at Northridge

At a weekend matinee performance of “In One Basket,” an hour of folk tales for children, the young Cal State Northridge cast’s spirits weren’t even dampened by a last-minute glitch--persons unknown had made off with all the sound-effects instruments.

But the show went on, despite the odd lull here and there, with mostly engaging results.

Directed by professional playwright/director Guy Giarrizzo, the play revolves around eight stories--including “The Three Wishes,” “Tale of a Mouse” and “Oh, If I Could but Shiver!”--all adapted by Shirley Pugh.

Staged in the CSN Little Theatre, the show’s portable set design by Jim Houle consists of folding screens and baskets--containing actors and props. Houle also designed the appealing, quirky costumes and masks made out of wide-mesh netting.

Cast members enthusiastically play an ogre, a princess, a mouse, the sun, the wind and a host of other eccentric fairy-tale characters. As they change sets, they sing an eclectic collection of rock hits from the past and present.

The good-humored pace slows toward the end, however. The last two stories on the program, “The Needle” and “The Kangaroo and the Ostrich,” aren’t up to the rest, in either pace or execution.

Set to tour elementary schools through mid-May, the show’s comic staging and eager young actors should make it a crowd-pleaser, but a little judicious trimming (and the replacement of the instruments) would make it shine.