THEATER REVIEW / SLEEPING BEAUTY’ : Kiss of Death : Concern for the homeless and the ecology are miscast in the 17th-Century children’s story.

The classic children’s story “Sleeping Beauty” flies into the socially conscious ‘90s in Illusions Theatre’s production, ending this weekend.

Concern for the homeless and ecology--the show’s sledgehammered subtexts--might be important for civilization, and dragging them into a centuries-old story might cater to the stereotypical Ojai artsy liberal. But it doesn’t do Sleeping Beauty any favors. The Illusions production is lovely to look at, but 17th-Century French author Charles Perrault must be flipping in his crypt.

Illusions founder Elizabeth Ridenour adapted Perrault’s story by taking about the first third of the story, changing the second third, and totally ignoring the original ending.

In this version, as in Perrault, a young princess is cursed to prick her hand on a spindle on her 15th birthday and die; the curse (from a fairy who was unwittingly slighted at the Princess’s christening) is subsequently amended to 100 years’ sleep and awakening by a prince’s kiss.

Probably in the interest of keeping sets to a minimum, Ridenour has changed the way the princess discovers the fatal spinning wheel--here, it’s given to her as a birthday present; in the original, she discovers it in an isolated garret in her castle.

After the princess and her entire court fall asleep, Ridenour’s script takes off on its own. A hundred years later, everybody wakes up in an alley, transferred across the Atlantic. A local lad recalls the old story and kisses the sleeping princess. One of the fairies sings Marvin Gaye’s “Mercy, Mercy Me (The Ecology)” and everybody cleans up their surroundings.

The end of Perrault’s version, where the Queen attempts to dine on the Princess’s children and then the Princess herself, is left to be revived by someone less careful about giving their own children nightmares.

Illusions is known for its large casts; the company here numbers between 20 and 30 people, ranging from quite young to adult. As usual, the costumes are lovely to the credit of Kim Stroud and crew; the choreography by Jeannie Carlson is imaginative, and Steve Emery’s music is catchy.

Also typically, there are no stars--everybody’s given relatively few lines, all the easier to remember. But Glenn Emmanuel does stand out as an imported “French mime”--odd, as the story takes place in France--to entertain at the Princess’s birthday parties.

Ridenour, who also directed the show, turns in a cameo as the wronged fairy who sets the action in motion.

* WHERE AND WHEN

“Sleeping Beauty” concludes this weekend at Libbey Bowl in Libbey Park on Ojai Avenue in Ojai. Performances are at 5 and 7 p.m. Saturday, and 5 p.m. Sunday. Tickets are $6.50 general admission; $4 for seniors and children. For group rates or further information, call 646-3533 or 646-6387.