Three local actors have parts in the Matchbox Children’s Theatre production of &uot;The Snow Queen and The Goblin.&uot;

Ross Pirsig of Albert Lea and Johnna and Alix Kermes of Hayward have roles in the production, which runs Feb. 7-9 at the Historic Paramount Theatre in downtown Austin. The play is directed by Gordy Handeland of Austin, who has been featured in many theatre productions in Albert Lea.

The play is based on the story by Hans Christian Andersen and dramatized by Martha Bennett King. The Snow Queen, jealously longing to enliven her world of frozen splendor with the laughter, songs and games of children, has been stealing them for years. Now she is watching Kay and his cousin Gerda. The Snow Queen has her sights set on Kay, a lively boy, in the hopes that he will teach the children how to play again.

So she sends her trusted Goblin, Acha, who puts Kay under a spell, the spell that has kept the other children from being happy. Gerda dauntlessly searches, armed only with faith and their grandmother’s song.

Ross, 13, a seventh-grader at Southwest Middle School, plays Kay. &uot;I like this role because Kay is always very active and courteous,&uot; he said.

Ross has been acting since he was in fourth grade. His first play was &uot;Froggy and the Christmas Pageant.&uot; Since then, he’s had parts in &uot;Miss Nelson is Missing&uot; in both Albert Lea and Austin; &uot;To Kill a Mockingbird,&uot; &uot;Saturday with Shel,&uot; &uot;Stuart Little&uot; and &uot;Guys and Dolls.&uot; He hopes to study theatre someday, he said.

Ross has been in other Matchbox productions with his dad, Scott, and learned about auditions because of their prior connections. The Kermes family is on the mailing list, and Johnna originally took Alix to audition for a role, then learned there were roles for adults as well. She was cast as the Snow Queen.

&uot;I was shocked,&uot; she said of being cast in the role.

But it’s a fun role for her. &uot;She’s the villain. She’s selfish &045; everything is about ‘me,’&uot; Johnna said.

This is only the second on-stage role for Johnna; her last role was in Albert Lea Community Theatre’s &uot;The King and I&uot; in 1990.

Alix Kermes is one of the Snow Children. This is her first theatre production, but she’s been acting and modeling since she was 2 years old.

Alix said she’s excited that her class is coming to see the production this week. She’s a third-grader at St. Theodore Catholic School.

Ross and Alix said they’ve made many new friends through the production. There are kids from all over the area in the show, including LeRoy, Blooming Prairie, Austin, Albert Lea and Hayward.

&uot;It’s neat to see the community of kids who do this,&uot; she added.

Johnna said she believes people of all ages will enjoy the show, as well as a chance to see the newly restored Paramount. There have been over $1 million in renovations to the building so far.

Performances are Friday at 7 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday at 2 p.m. Tickets are $4 for children 14 and under, $5.50 for adults, $4 for senior citizens (62 and older), and children 2 and under are admitted free.

Tickets are available at Black Bart’s/Nemitz’s in downtown Austin and Main Street in the Sterling Shopping Center this week, as well as at the door.