GARDINER — Open Book Players will perform “The Little Mermaid” and “The Emperor’s New Suit” at Johnson Hall Performing Arts Center, 280 Water St. The play will be staged at 7 p.m. Saturday June 1, and at 2 p.m. Sunday June 2. Doors open a half hour before the shows.

“The Little Mermaid” is a fairy tale written by Danish author Hans Christian Andersen. The story follows the journey of a young mermaid who is willing to give up her life in the sea and her identity as a mermaid to gain a human soul. The tale was first published in 1837 as part of a collection of fairy tales for children and has a different ending than the Disney movie version of the story.

“The Emperor’s New Suit” is a short tale, also written by Andersen, about two weavers who promise an emperor a new suit of clothes that they say is invisible to those who are unfit for their positions, stupid or incompetent — while in reality, they make no clothes at all, making everyone believe the clothes are invisible to them. This fairy tale was also published in 1837.

The cast includes 14 performers from ages 8 to 14. They are Sawyer Pied, Celena Matos, Sarah Mansir, Catherine Mansir, Isabella Boudreau, Talia Migliaccio and Natalie Fikus, all from Gardiner; Leigha Monaghan and Elsie Peacock, West Gardiner; Ava Rossignol and Sarah Rossignol, Litchfield; Joseph Lemelin, Chelsea; Dominique Giroux-Pare, Winslow; and Nicholas Harper, Kents Hill.

The production is being directed by Lucy Rioux, artistic director of OBP, with assistance by Cindy Turcotte.

Tickets are $8 for adults and $5 for youth. Tickets are available at the Johnson Hall Box Office from noon to 3 p.m. Tuesday through Friday, at 207-582-7144 or at www.johnsonhall.org.

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