Chivalry, madness, love and adventure came to town when the Mermaid Players presented Finding Don Quixote, an emerging playwright's twist on the classic novel by Miguel de Cervantes, Don Quixote.

Both the play and the novel told the story of Don Quixote, a starry-eyed romantic who dreams of becoming a knight and ridding the world of evil. But in the play we viewed his adventures through the eyes of a thoroughly modern, 13-year-old girl. And she was on a magnificent quest of her own.

The Mermaid Players presented the world premiere of the play, which was written by Jonathan Yukich, recipient of the ACTF/Kennedy Center's 2003 Paula Vogel Award for Playwriting. Yukich was named one of "50 Playwrights to Watch" by The Dramatist magazine.

"Jonathan and I have been friends and collaborators for the past six years, and this is our fifth collaboration together," noted Noah Tuleja, associate professor of theatre, who added that while the show is technically challenging, he was pleased with the results.

The curtain will rise at 8 p.m. Oct. 30-31 (Fri. and Sat.) and on Nov. 2-3 (Mon. and Tues.).