BRUNSWICK – “Andy & The Lion,” a modern retelling of “Androcles and the Lion,” will roar onto The Theater Project stage, 14 School St., Dec. 3 and 4. Fifteen middle-school students will transform The Theater Project into a Renaissance Commedia dell’Arte stage, complete with acrobatics, juggling, masks, improvisation and comedic characters. The play is appropriate for ages 6 and up.

Commedia dell’Arte dates back to the Italian Renaissance. Stock characters based on ancient prototypes were allowed to improvise from a basic outline, telling old stories with topical twists. This is the how Theater Project director Lee K. Paige and her cast are approaching “Andy & The Lion,” choosing particular character types and updating and adapting the material for this production.

There will be three performances: at 7:30 p.m. Dec. 3 and at 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. Dec. 4. Admission for all shows is pay what you want, with a suggested price of $6. For reservations, call 729-8584 or e-mail [email protected]. The Web site is www.theaterproject.com.