Heroes meet villains, fun ensues

Commedia dell’arte fans, rejoice: “Fafalo!,” the latest myth-making project from Ziggurat Theatre Ensemble, deftly marries the genre’s freewheeling spirit and physicalized performance style with inventive scripting, masks and costumes, and large-scale puppets. The result is a visually dazzling, utterly charming tour de force.

Writer-director Stephen Legawiec’s explorations of archetypal storytelling from around the world have frequently ventured into darker psychic territory, but this time the tone is playful, fun and decidedly family friendly, with abundant improvised clowning and audience interaction.

Integral to the production’s stunning design is a fruitful collaboration with Balinese mask-maker Nyoman Setiawan, whose original hand-carved wood creations define a colorful array of characters. Under the guidance of resident movement coach Dana Wieluns, the six-member cast impressively handles the specialized presentational style that gives personality and realism to each of their masked identities.

Set in the imaginary kingdom of Gallandria, Legawiec’s comic fable revolves around an urgent search for an heir to the vacant royal throne. Researching the ancient governing scriptures, the affable, rotund chancellor (John Achorn) and the meek court scholar (David Valdez) decide, in a wry Saturnalian nod to upended social order, that the throne belongs to the scamming street peddler, Fafalo (Jon Monastero).

In classic Harlequin tradition, Fafalo proceeds to exploit his good fortune, but his gravy train is derailed by the arrival of a murderous marauding tyrant (Achorn) who demands either the king’s head or the surrender of a long-lost magical artifact.

Amid some interludes featuring dancer Li-Ann Lim, Fafalo and his endearing but dim-witted aide (Julia Emelin) stall for time as they seek a way to thwart the intruder.

But it falls to the lowborn but brilliant puzzle specialist, Linga (Anna Heinl), to solve the riddle of the artifact’s whereabouts and a more important mystery of the human heart.

This is one of the most satisfying and enjoyable Ziggurat efforts.

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‘Fafalo!’

Where: Miles Memorial Playhouse, 1130 Lincoln Blvd., Santa Monica

When: 8 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays; 3 p.m. Sundays

Ends: April 13

Price: $20

Contact: (310) 842-5737

Running time: 1 hour, 30 minutes