Barbara Lawlor, Nederland.  He was on a quest.

He was driven to right unrightable wrongs and dream impossible dreams; he tried when his arms were too weary to reach the unreachable star.

But Don Quixote never gave up. As he aged, as is body became frail and his mind a muddle, he decided to take up his lance, mount a wobbly nag and begin a series of chivalrous deeds, protecting the weak and destroying the wicked. He meets the perfect partner, a clueless laborer named Sancho Panza and the two of them head to their destiny of glory. He gives up food, shelter and comfort, in the name of a barmaid he thinks is a princess.

Miguel de Cervantes wrote the book, believed to be the first modern novel, which became the most widely read classic of Western Literature.

Last Saturday, the Magnolia Children’s Theater Camp presented, “The Curious Quest of Don Quixote,” at the Nederland Backdoor Theater. The original story was adapted into a children’s script by Kirsten Morgan.

Being in this production was the dream of about 30 students who attended the Magnolia Children’s Theater Camp this summer, the third show the camp has produced and the cast reached its star in this one.

The actors exuded an energy that was infectious, enjoying every line, every move on stage. There was no rote recitation. The two actors playing Don Quixote were equally brilliant, standing straight and proud as they wore a barber’s basin on their heads and battled windmills.

Gavin Dillon and Keohi Pelkham-Donahue shared the part of the lead and shared insight into Quixote’s passion with the audience. The two boys were strongly articulate and played to the audience with a twinkle in their eyes, aware of their stage presence.

Sancho played by Mateo Beauvineau was impeccable in his comedic timing, adding to the sense of loyalty and devotion that runs through the play.

Aya Pelkham-Donahue, as the vulnerable Dulcinea, played the dark-haired beauty with ease and a bit of spunkiness.

The entire cast is to be congratulated on making their acting dreams come true. In a world based on technology and data, it is inspiring to watch kids look to the future with hope and optimistic vision.

(Originally published in the August 9, 2018, print edition of The Mountain-Ear.)