LEWISTON — The internationally renowned National Marionette Theatre will bring two classic tales, “Sleeping Beauty” and “Pinocchio,” to the Lewiston Middle School Auditorium.

One of the oldest continually touring marionette theaters in the United States, the National Marionette Theatre will present “Sleeping Beauty” at 7 p.m. Friday, March 25, and “Pinocchio” at 2 p.m. Saturday, March 26.

Founded in 1967, this award-winning company has entertained audiences around the world for more than 40 years, using hand-carved marionettes and crafted full-stage sets. Past shows performed in the Twin Cities include “Alice in Wonderland,” “Beauty and the Beast,” “Peter Pan” and, last year, “Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves” and “Hansel and Gretel.”

In Grimm’s “Sleeping Beauty,” the princess Aurora has been asleep for almost 100 years when Prince Steffon learns of the her plight. He resolves to find the sleeping princess and rescue her from the evil fairy Belladonna. Told from the prince’s point of view, this production combines beautifully crafted marionettes with the timeless music from Tchaikovsky’s ballet.

The National Marionette Theatre’s performance of “Pinocchio” is a faithful retelling of this childhood favorite. Pinocchio goes on a series of adventures and realizes that only by being truthful, selfless and kind to others will he realize his dream of becoming a boy. Running time for this production is about one hour.

“It’s always a joy to bring this magical company to our area,” said Cheri Donahue of L/A Arts. “Once the lights go down, their small stage takes on larger-than-life dimensions and you become completely absorbed in the story. It’s always a jolt when the puppeteers reintroduce themselves at the end. They are giants. It takes a moment to adjust your thinking back to normal size.”

Advance tickets for both shows are $7, $5 for students and seniors. They may be purchased online at www.laarts.org or by calling L/A Arts at 782-7228. The middle school is at 75 Central Ave.

The fox and cat lead Pinocchio astray in the National Marionette Theatre’s production of “Pinocchio.”