Hyronomous A. Frog is not your ordinary fly-snatching frog. He is really a spellbound prince, but he doesn't know it. Will Princess Gladiola meet Hyronomous, care for him, and ultimately provide the kiss that breaks the spell?

The answer is in the play, Hyronomous A. Frog - The Frog Prince, playing this weekend at the Grace Lutheran Church on 4th and Mahoning Streets in Lehighton. Showtimes are 7 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 5; 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 6; and 2 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 7.The Frog Prince is the first production of the Pale Moon Players, a fledgling company of experienced actors. The company incorporated earlier this year with a cast of veterans of over 200 productions. Its principals Bob Fatzinger, Dave Zimmerman and Laurel Zimmerman have each acted since high school and have appeared in a combined 150 productions.In this quirky modern-day retelling of the Grimm's fairy tale The Frog King by playwright/comedian Edith Weiss, Dave Zimmerman plays Hyronomous A. Frog. "Hyronomous finds he is unhappy being a frog," Dave explained. "Early in the play he learns from a good witch that he is under a spell of a bad witch. He is actually a human prince and must find a princess to kiss him if he wants to be a prince again.""The play uses humor to teach the lesson that who you are on the inside is what matters most," added Fatzinger."I am a human who was turned into a frog," Dave added. "For the sake of the show, I am human sized. It's not in my memory as a frog that I was once a human prince. The story is told from the frog's point of view."The story is aimed at children, but the humor is for children of all ages, adults and seniors.Pale Moon Players was conceived in early 2011 when Bob Fatzinger, Dave Zimmerman and Laurel Zimmerman felt there was a need for more theater in the community. "We were just looking for an outlet for community theater during the off-season," said Laurel. "We were members of the Zion Opera Workshop and we wanted something different to offer when they were not in production."Toward the end of 2011, they bankrolled their undertaking, receiving an endowment and "playing two gigs," Dave noted. "We performed a conglomeration of Christmas stories and Christmas carols for the Carbon County Women's Club and the Mahoning Lions Club."Pale Moon Players plans to offer three or four performances a year. Two of the offerings will be children's theater and a Christmas production-both tend to draw crowds and can be produced on a shoestring budget. "Between those, we'd like to something more avant-garde for an adult and sophisticated audience," Dave noted.Laurel added, "Perhaps a musical production rather than a straight play.""Which costs a lot of money," Dave rejoined."But also to do straight comedy," Bob added. "There are few other outlets.""I think we're ready for opening night," Bob noted enthusiastically. "it's great to be finally moving.""It's a dream come to fruition," Laurel chimed in, "to see a production that we had a hand in creating."The cast of Hyronomous A. Frog - The Frog Prince is comprised of: Tina Becker as Princess Gladiola, Bob Fatzinger as Arthur the Page, Alissa Muffley as Delphinium the handmaiden, Mike Muffley as Sir Lancelot Pancelot the pompous knight, Patricia Peters as Gloria the Good Witch, Laurel Zimmerman as Aunt Queen Bea, and Dave Zimmerman as Hyronomous A. Frog.For reservations, call: (610) 377-0290 or (610) 451-0521. Those interested in joining the Pale Moon Players can call Dave Zimmerman at (610) 377-0290. Additional information is available at their website:

palemoonplayers.devhub.com.