AUBURN – For delightful and different theatrical entertainment, it will be hard to beat the current performances of “The Fantasticks” by a wonderful Community Little Theatre ensemble.

There’s a generous helping of slapstick comedy to flavor a story line of young love and inevitable discovery that, as Shakespeare said, “The course of true love never did run smooth.”

“The Fantasticks” has four more shows Oct. 19-22 at the Great Falls Performing Arts Center on Academy Street.

The strength of Community Little Theatre over its 67-year history is its ability to find professional-caliber talent among the area’s residents.

Eight of those individuals lend their abilities to this production.

The principal claim to fame of “The Fantasticks” is its 42-year off-Broadway run – the longest ever. Does that make “The Fantasticks” the best show ever? Or the most spectacular or most important?

No. But it has the kind of appeal that people like to share, and that keeps the show going.

Duane Glover delivers an appropriate mix of menace and moral advice as El Gallo. He’s the play’s narrator who steps into the action as a convincing swashbuckler and rogue. He cooks up a deal with the lovers’ plotting fathers that leads to disastrous consequences.

Glover gives a fine rendition of the show’s best-known song, “Try to Remember.”

He is also excellent in duets with Litchfield (“I Can See It”), with Howard (reprise of “Much More”) and in his comic encounters with the two fathers and with his dubious troupe of actors.

As the young lovers, Michael Litchfield and Robin Howard shine. Litchfield has gained a loyal Theatre following in the past few years. His background includes a decade of New York and London nightclub appearances.

Litchfield’s fine tenor and his perfection at expressing bemusement are well suited to his role in “The Fantasticks.” His solo on “Metaphor” is well done, and he scores well in several duets.

Howard is making her Community Little Theatre debut. As Luisa, she brings impressive acting and vocal skills to the part she has performed before in a Brandeis University production.

Her solo on “Much More” is a pleasure to hear, and her duets with Litchfield on “Soon It’s Gonna Rain” and “Celebration” are very well done.

Comic relief in “The Fantasticks” is plentiful, and the four performers responsible for it here raise the form to a high level. First, there are the fathers played by Dan Crawford and Bruce Gerry. Their enjoyment in their roles is contagious. Highlights of their performances are “Plant a Radish” and “It Depends on What You Pay” with Glover.

For sheer silliness, the roles of Henry, an aged actor played by Dan Hahn, and Mortimer, his Indian friend who specializes in death scenes, (Roger Philippon) are truly memorable. The audiences howled at their outlandish antics.

Also essential to “The Fantasticks” is the role of the ever-present mute, a mostly unseen character who scatters elements of magic that propel the action. This is well done by Eileen Messina, who also choreographed the show.

Audiences will find an unusual staging for “The Fantasticks.” It’s done with a single stage-center raised platform in front of the curtain.

Accompaniment is by harp (Molly Hahn) and piano (Paul G. Caron, who’s also music director) on the left side of the stage and percussion (Scott Powers) on the right.

The contributions of these musicians is outstanding.

Nevertheless, it has to be said that the sound balance is not good, and it’s an unfortunate distraction for an otherwise excellent production.

Comments from several people who saw different performances this past weekend bear that observation out. The piano sometimes overpowered vocals.

Amplification also was uneven at times. In one case where Litchfield re-enters a scene by coming down an aisle of the Theatre, his microphone sends his voice to speakers at the front, and audiences are confused by the apparent voice from nowhere.

Both sound and lighting add immeasurably to the quality of a show. Richard Martin’s light design was up to the high standards he has brought to many local productions.

In this and some other Community Little Theatre shows, it seems that the importance of sound is not getting the attention it deserves.

That’s a shortcoming that must not be ignored, but it certainly shouldn’t discourage anyone from seeing one of the remaining performances of “The Fantasticks.”

For tickets, phone the box office at 783-0958 or visit the Web site at www.laclt.com. Curtain is 7:30 p.m. Thursday, 8 p.m. Thursday and Friday, and 2 p.m. Sunday.