A canyon alive with fairies

If you spot fairies singing and dancing in Franklin Canyon, don’t worry, you haven’t turned into Thumbelina.

Most probably it’s a fine Saturday morning in this quiet slip of a canyon canopied with old-growth oaks and you’ve just stumbled upon “A Faery Hunt.” This new 45-minute interactive walk is part adventure, part theatrical performance -- and it’s peppered with fairies, pookas and trolls, with a message of kindness to one another and stewardship of nature for kids who still believe in matters magical.

It’s the brainchild of Debbie Rothstein, an anime voice-over actress by day and a lifelong fairy enthusiast. Rothstein plays the intrepid khaki-clad tour guide Frances Griffiths -- who, along with Elsie Wright (played by Ann E. Chatterton), kicks off the adventure by telling children in a shrill English accent that they might be the only ones able to spot magical beings.

“Would you like to look for fairies today?” Griffiths and Wright ask earnestly. The response is solemn, wide-eyed nods from 4- and 5-year-olds, some wearing wings, wreaths and even tutus, as they untangle themselves from their video camera-laden parents to trot behind the ladies.

The adventure around the Franklin Canyon pond begins when the group stumbles across Brigit the Battle-Queen, known for her healing powers. Dressed in a costume that vaguely resembles a cross between superhero and Jazzerciser, she asks children with boo-boos to put out their fingers, which she touches with her scepter. “Think positive thoughts,” she instructs. “Anyone with boo-boos of the heart or financial boo-boos?” On the “Faery Hunt,” even adults can get a little love.

She escorts them to meet Queen Aine, an Irish fairy queen known for her kindness and concern for children. Queen Aine is keeper of the magical fairy light, which she wears in an enchanted necklace that helps guide children from their sleep to the waking world. But it turns out that a mean creature in the forest has stolen her most precious treasure.

In this little exploit, there are a number of possible suspects. Was it Darrig the smelly troll? Or perhaps Larry the Simurg, the half-man half-bird bewitched Scottish knight who hides himself in the darkest part of the forest? Or maybe it was Barbegazi the Yeti? With the help of Pilliwiggin the flower fairy, Puckle the pooka and, of course, Brigit the strong battle fairy, Queen Aine sends the children on a quest to find the stolen fairy light and return it, so they won’t be groggy and grouchy when they wake up. They take their leave, but only after repeating an earnest promise to care for the forest: “As summer turns to fall and winter into spring, I will keep my promise, I swear upon my wings.”

It might seem like an outing made for little girls, but there’s plenty of testosterone around. A comical stick fight between Darrig the troll and Larry the Simurg holds great appeal for the boys on the hunt. Moreover, there’s fairy-approved yelling at the top of your voice, as well as singing of the troll song. It does get stuck in your head.

To keep children entertained on the portions of the walk where there are no magical creatures, the guides point out local flora and tell jokes.

A prime example: What do you call a unicorn at the top of his class?

An Acorn.

“It’s too early in the day,” a parent murmurs, but the kids love it. There are enough jokes and double entendres for the adults too.

Not to give the ending to the whodunit away, it involves a poor lad who had a crush on Queen Aine. Hey, it always worked in second grade. All is forgiven, and everyone becomes friends.

The idea for “A Faery Hunt,” which has a cast of more than a dozen, came to Rothstein as she and her friend Peggy O’Neal hiked one day in the Santa Monica Mountains. “I said, ‘Doesn’t it look like a fairy ring over there? A fairy should be dancing in the forest right there,’ ” says Rothstein.

O’Neal is no longer involved with the project, but the burgeoning cast has helped create magic using existing lore. “We are adding new fairies and funny creatures all the time, so the show is never quite the same from week to week,” says Rothstein, who first mounted “A Faery Hunt” in November.

Stories in the works are “Pilliwiggin and the Magic Beads,” “Gogmagog the Not-So-Terrible Giant” and “You Can’t Judge a Bugul Noz by His Cover.” Rothstein is also looking to incorporate Celtic music and dance into episodes.

At the end of the hunt, there’s plenty of time for photos with the cast. The troupe does accept donations, which are then divvied up by the cast members.

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Litty Mathew can be reached at weekend@latimes.com.

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‘A Faery Hunt’

Where: Franklin Canyon Park, 2600 Franklin Canyon Drive, Beverly Hills

When: 10:30 a.m. Saturdays

Price: $10 suggested donation

Info: (818) 324-6802; www.afaeryhunt.com