Celeste wonders, "How can you be such a pouty-face when the world is full of lollipops and lizards and several kinds of llamas? Not to mention love!"

Celeste and Starla Save Todd and Win Back the Day
Mercury Players' "MercLab"
Final Shows 8 p.m. June 27-28

It's the last weekend to see this delightful new play by Oregon playwright Francesca Sanders. Chosen from among more than 400 submissions to premiere as the first show in the new Theatre Warehouse space on 930 N. Fair Oaks Ave., this colorful, high-energy piece is funny, smart and a great choice for nearly all ages (Merc recommends 10 and older).

Celeste (Jessica Joan Evans) is a spunky sleuth in a plaid jacket and red petticoat. She idolizes Nancy Drew and with the help of her sidekick, Starla -- a starfish who travels in her "bag of whimsy" -- sets out to save a wealthy man's son (Sean Langenecker) who has mysteriously morphed into a rag doll.

Most important in this gem of a play is the spirit of it, which is sweet, clever and often unexpected. In addition to the star-crossed Celeste and Todd, Damon Butler plays every other character, ranging from a curmudgeon with a cane to a flamboyant Brazilian vamp to a (capital-V) Violent Handyman. Doug Holtz and Casey Grimm's set is glaringly colorful, as is Celeste's roadster, which takes her from suburbia to Rio and back. Kudos to director Greg Harris, who has captured the brightness and joy in Sanders' play.

Don't miss this show. As Celeste says, "If you wait too long for something, life has a way of passing you by."