Three-Ring Fun : * A children’s theater production relies on actors and a bit of imagination to bring thrills of the circus to life.

Carol Allen wasn’t sure how to respond when her 4- and 5-year-old boys asked if they would see real lions and tigers and bears at “The Circus Is Coming to Town,” a children’s production at the Storybook Theatre.

“I didn’t know what to tell them, since we’ve been to birthday parties where ponies and farm animals are brought in to create instant petting zoos and rides. I guess almost anything is possible,” said Allen, who lives in the Hollywood Hills.

“But you know what? This was better,” she said. “The show relied on pure imagination. And you cannot get much better than that.

“I was a little nervous about what the show would be like since this was our first experience at children’s theater and it wasn’t a traditional fairy tale,” Allen said. “But several friends had recommended it. They said, ‘You can always count on Storybook Theatre.’ ”

With eight years under its belt and a mailing list that exceeds 2,000 families, Storybook Theatre has earned the reputation among parents for producing positive children’s theater. Everything from the props and costumes right down to the character of the villains is executed with a certain gentleness--and silliness.

“I’ve been told that our plays remind people of me,” said Barbara Mallory Schwartz, the creator of Storybook Theatre, who co-directs shows with her husband, Lloyd Schwartz, who writes the shows. “I’m kind of a primary color person. I like bold and happy feelings.

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“And besides, you really have to be careful when you’re dealing with young children. They may be somewhat more sophisticated these days, but our audiences still only range from 3 to 8 years old,” she said.

And just like its creator, “The Circus Is Coming to Town” is a bold and happy show with an “I-can-do-anything” mentality. Its real emphasis is that kids can create anything, even a circus, with just a little imagination.

Storybook also performs such traditional tales as “Hansel and Gretel,” “Sleeping Beauty” and “Little Red Riding Hood” (with some minor variations on the standard themes), but staging original works is an exciting challenge, Schwartz said.

“It’s fun to create and work with other subjects besides the ones that everyone already knows,” she said, adding that she often gets ideas for shows or themes from her sons, who are 4 and 12 years old.

“We try to keep things simple. The music is simple, even the dance steps are simple. I like songs that involve repetition so that kids can easily hum or sing them,” she said.

And in “Circus,” just like in almost every other Storybook production, the audience can count on at least one good chase scene up and down the aisles. “Kids love it,” Schwartz said. “It really helps to keep a physicality about the show when you’re dealing with young children.”

And participation? Well, it’s really the kids that end up making the circus acts, from juggling and tumbling across the stage to imagined tightrope walking and lion taming.

“My youngest is gutsy,” said Allen. “His hand shot up every time they called for kids to come on stage. He was even picked once. It was thrilling. Now my oldest has gotten his nerve up and wants to go back. We might do his sixth birthday party there.”

WHERE AND WHEN

What: “The Circus Is Coming to Town.”

Location: Storybook Theatre at Theatre West, 3333 Cahuenga Blvd. West, Los Angeles.

Hours: 1 p.m. Saturdays through June.

Tickets: $7.

Call: (818) 761-2203.