Almost 1,000 miles and 20 years separate the two times I've seen "Saturday's Warrior." It was intriguing to see again the production that Mormons either love or love to hate far from the adoring San Jose crowd I sat with years ago.

The "contemporary musical" by Doug Stewart and Lex De Azevedo holds up pretty well as it portrays squabbling and caring in a large family. And I will openly admit to loving the theme music:Who are these children coming down

Coming down, like gentle rain through darkened skies.

With glory trailing from their feet as they go

And endless promise in their eyes?

Pages Lane Theatre has breathed life into a play that suffers from a few anachronisms and a near death-knell sounded by a weak video production. I arrived with two teens who earlier refused to come because they'd seen the video and it was "sappy." With threats, bribes and a little coercion, they agreed to attend, and happily for me, they were glad they did.

The semi-maligned Flinders family (ever catch "Saturday's Voyeur?") is portrayed by Dave Petersen (the father) and Pam Evans as mother. Some of the Flinders children are double cast and playing on alternate nights. Much of the plot revolves around twins Jimmy and Pam who are able to remain close even though Jimmy is estranged from the rest of the family. Emily Shaffer's Pam was tender and completely believable. Andy Leger was the dark and brooding Jimmy Flinders. He evoked the angst of teen years with great passion.

Sharise Russon is cast as Julie Flinders around whom the other major plot line revolves. Russon managed petulance and humor with ease as she ditsily bounced from one true love to another. Her scene with Elder Kestler (David Marsden) was a highlight. As a group of missionaries prepare to depart, the young women sing "Dear John" while the fellows wail, "I'll Never Trust a Girl Again." Teri Anderson's inventive choreography for this delightful scene was as fun as the music.

Ah, this takes us to Elder Green. Carson Boss takes this 19-year-old right over the top. There were moments when he kept mugging, the audience kept laughing and the next lines by other actors were totally lost. Boss' Elder Green is so awfully terrible that he's just hilarious.

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By the time Elders Kestler and Green finally stumble over the young man named Tod looking for answers (Rick Redford), a love scene is clearly foreshadowed. A last-minute, hasty conversion leads to Kestler's reunion with Julie at the airport - where he loses her as soon as his convert, Tod, steps off the plane.

The one place where this play falters is in the conflict that pits Jimmy's motorcycle-riding friends against his family's values. His "friends" would more likely be pressing him about sex, drugs and alcohol rather than pontificating about zero population. This musical begs for a rewrite and a refocusing of the conflict to the more serious problems this generation faces.

"Saturday's Warrior" gets the Pages Lane treatment, which means excellent acting, first-rate singing and a theater-in-the-round experience for families.

Forget about arguing whether "Warrior" is art. There's still a war on against teens. It can't hurt to remind them where they came from.

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