Everybody’s favorite childhood characters come to life starting on Friday as the Iberia Performing Art League’s summertime children’s play “A Fairy Tale Adventure” begins at the Essanee Theater.

Mixing characters from across the fairy tale landscape — from Snow White to the Ugly Duckling, Goldilocks to the Wicked Witch — the Michael (pronounced mee-SHELL) Weber-led production blends storylines from many American classics.

“This romp through the forest features a Wicked Witch who has stolen the fairy tale endings and has kidnapped the Fairy Queen. Hansel, Gretel and the Gingerbread Man are on a trek through the forest to find the Wicked Witch’s house and to free the Queen and the fairy tale endings. Along the way they are aided by various traditional fairy tale characters who are enlisted to help find the way,” the official IPAL Web site says.

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Weber said the entire 42-member cast is local children ages 6-12, which has been both a joy and a challenge that has been rewarding.

“Rehearsals have been going very well,” Weber said. “I have a lot of people helping me maintain crowd control, but I really do love to work with children.”

Weber also said the cast is wonderful and the children are a delight to be with.

One of the cast members is 12-year-old Paige Lovett, who will be playing the Pied Piper.

“It is going very, very well,” she said. “I am excited for it to begin.”

Lovett, who will be a seventh-grader at Iberia Middle School this fall, said she has wanted to be an actress ever since she was little.

“Well, I loved to just watch movies about my favorite actors,” she said. “After the movies, I would act them out with my dolls.”

Lovett tried to audition for the play “Guys and Dolls” but was told she was too young. That’s when she found out about “A Fairy Tale Adventure” from IPAL member Donna Berard.

When asked if she would continue to act in the future, Lockett gave an enthusiastic, “Of course.”

Fellow actress Abigail Richthofen, 7, said her mom, Helen, has acted in IPAL plays before and helped get her the role as one of the fairies.

“My mom was in the last play and asked her director if any other play was looking for actresses and there was,” said Abigail, who attends St. Edward School.

Abigail said she is looking forward to tonight’s Family Night, where the families of the actors and actresses will gather at the Essanee Theater from 6 to 8 p.m. on the final night before the play opens.

Tickets for “A Fairy Tale Adventure” are $10 and are being sold at Accentrics, Paul’s Flower Shop and Delaune’s Pharmacy.

The show opens Friday at 7:30 p.m. and runs Saturday and Sunday this weekend and July 23 to 25.

Showtimes are 7:30 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays and 3 p.m. on Sundays.