The annual preschool play by the Honolulu Theatre for Youth is just the right size and shape for its young audience — 30 minutes long with a simple, direct story and plenty of audience interaction.

"Maui's Kite," written by HTY company actor BullDog and directed by Phyllis Look, is the tale of how the demigod Maui ("smart, strong, clever, etc.") created the Hawaiian kite to satisfy his desire to fly and his mother's need to dry her tapa.

What makes it fun for the kids is that they get to be part of the action.

Herman Tesoro, Jr. — who plays Maui and a number of other parts — works the young and potentially squirmy audience through a pre-show warm-up. Safety considerations come first, with an explanation that they need to stay seated on their drop cloth because the actors will be moving around and using the center aisle.

Then comes a novice tutorial in hula moves in which the kids learn the gestures for trees, flowers, waves, and fish that they will use later in the show. There's also a lesson in Hawaiian words, with which some of the youngsters were already familiar.

The action gets under way as Cynthia See — in full Hawaiian costume — makes an entrance through the audience singing a ceremonial chant.

The play continues to unfold with See providing most of the narration and Tesoro filling in most of the characters. Maui is also represented by a hand puppet that See carries and the alternation between puppet and Tesoro's live character is not only handled smoothly, it creates much of the fun.

Maui's lively spirit animates his plan to pluck bird feathers to make wings that will allow him to fly. Plunging Icarus-like into the ocean, he observes the sting ray "flying" under the water. This inspires him to build a light frame, cover it with tapa cloth, and create the first kite.

Meanwhile, the audience contributes to the action with their hula moves, providing wind sounds, and generally adding their energy to that of the actors on stage.

The half-hour moves by quickly and leave the kids not only satisfied, but wanting more.

And that's just where the play cuts off, noting that Maui moved on to pull the Hawaiian Islands up out of the ocean — "but that's another story."

The HTY production staff has found the right ingredients to animate a stage play for an audience that has not yet learned to read. The result is lively and fun and not the least bit condescending.

'MAUI'S KITE'

9:30 and 11:30 a.m., March 15 and 29

St. Andrew's Cathedral

Tickets: $8. Free for keiki age 2 and younger

839-9885; www.htyweb.org

Joseph T. Rozmiarek has reviewed theater performances in Hawai'i since 1973.