‘THIRTEEN CLOCKS’ IS TIME WELL SPENT

An erratic wizard, an evil duke, a prince in disguise and a princess in peril can only mean one thing: fairy-tale time at the theater.

At the Assistance League Playhouse, however, those familiar characters are not elements of the usual children’s fare. Eschewing the ordinary, the Nine O’Clock Players are presenting “The Thirteen Clocks,” James Thurber’s vivid, whimsically poetic fantasy.

Though the musical adaptation by Donald and Betty Richardson eliminates the tale’s darker aspects, a good bit of Thurber’s unique flavor remains.

The cold, evil Duke slew time and “wiped his bloody blade upon its beard,” keeps man-eating geese and locks children in his tower for sleeping in his camellia bed. He holds captive--and plans to marry--the good Princess Saralinda.

She’ll be saved from that fate if a prince performs an impossible task of the Duke’s choosing.

Enter Prince Zorn of Zorna, who risks being slit from “guggle to zatch” to save her, aided by the magical Golux (“the only Golux in the world and not a mere Device”) and Hagga, a woman who weeps not tears, but jewels.

The actors--all Assistance League women volunteers--are a mix of professional and non-pro performers. Careful casting, effective and appealing costuming by Angelika Perkins and Alison Dienner and director Richard Marion’s light touch make the mix work well. The pace is quick, the musical numbers sprightly (Marion also did the pleasing choreography).

Tall, blond and self-contained, Kathy Morgan makes an attractive prince and Nancy Benun adds professional elan as young sidekick Christopher. As the Golux, Bobbie Gay, dressed in wizard’s robes, with a tuft of beard on her chin, offers the right dash of quirkiness.

Jan Gorman’s Duke is a treat. Gorman’s painted-on mustache fairly quivers with evil glee as she calls for candied spiders, recounts bad deeds and worse intentions and consorts with Whisper and Listen, her spies.

Kathy O’Rieley’s clever set design makes a major contribution, as does Bonnie Hunter’s evocative accompaniment on organ and piano and Lourinda Bray’s mood-setting light design.

The production, adapted for young children, is one of the Nine O’Clock Players’ best. Older children and adults who may be prompted to find the rich, little-known work by American satirist/humorist Thurber are in for a rewarding reading experience.

The performance continues through Nov. 23 at 1367 N. St. Andrews Place, Hollywood, Saturdays and Sundays at 2 p.m.; (213) 469-1970.