LAKE HUNTINGTON, NY — The last-day performance of River Rep Theatre’s “The Neverending Story” was no surprise before a packed house at the Delaware Valley Opera Center.

The play, based on the book by renowned German novelist Michael Ende, was made into a play by internationally produced playwright David S. Craig, a master of show-stopping techniques.

As the story unfolds, we are transported into a world beyond fiction into fantasy.

A boy who pilfers a book from a bookstore, a book bearing the title of this play, becomes part of the plot, venturing into a magical world that comes to life.

Bastian, as the boy is known, soon realizes that he may be creating all the wild and unusual creatures that surface—both for good and bad—as his reading becomes a form of narration. From the talking horse to the wild wisps of cloth representing the villain known as The Nothing, the audience may feel like they are a part of the play. 

It was not unusual to sit there and get caught up in simultaneous reality and fantasy. Perhaps it’s creating a new genre—realtasy.

The adults and children who make up the audience are exposed to different takes. The antics of never knowing what will happen next capture the excitement of a good play for many older people. For children, the path is lit with all kinds of fantasy creatures and unpredictable actions.

The tale continues to draw us in as we never know what will appear before us. These showstopper techniques allow us to enjoy the ride without an intermission as we finally get to the ending. Do we find the end?

Other highlights of the play include the music of Giorgio Moroder, a disco composer whose electronic, vibrant sounds sends tingling sensations throughout the experience.

As in every play, the acting determines the final success, and clearly all actors were fully engaged to pull off this extravaganza. From actors to costumes to make-up, as the performers whirled around the stage, the story may never end for those of us there. How ironic that the author, whose name is Ende, wrote a story that may never.