ELLENDALE — Some theatrics are coming to Ellendale this weekend.

Prairie Fire Children’s Theater is at New Richland-Hartland-Ellendale-Geneva Elementary School this week for its production of “Pinocchio.”

Auditions were on Monday, rehearsals began Tuesday and run through today and performances are at 7 p.m. Friday and 2 p.m. Saturday at the school. Tickets are $5 for adults and $3 for students and can be purchased at the door. The proceeds go back to the PTO for covering the costs of bringing the theater group to the school each year.

This year’s production of “Pinocchio” is dedicated to the memory of Marcus Misgen, who passed away last summer. Misgen was involved in every PFCT play that’s come through NRHEG, and played the role of Aladdin in last year’s play.

About 55 students are involved this year, all of them in or between second and sixth grades. Students fill out both the cast and crew roles and responsibilities, with the theater members directing, providing costumes and helping with a few of the acting parts.

Sixth-grader Paige Knudson will play Pinocchio. Other roles in the play include a blue fairy, a cricket, a cat, forest spirits, townsfolk, hooligans and puppets. Every student who auditions either gets a role in the play or, if they’d rather be behind the scenes, a job with the set crew.

NRHEG first hosted Prairie Fire back in 2008, and it quickly became a yearly tradition. The theater is sponsored by the school’s PTO, and PTO member Allyson Hagen doesn’t see the program ending any time soon.

“It took off right away,” she said. “It makes for a busy week, but it’s fun.”

Hagen said the play week has typically been in March in recent years, but scheduling conflicts this year pushed it to May. Next year’s play is already scheduled for the last weekend in March.

“It’s a real opportunity for kids who love theater,” Hagen said. “These students look forward to it all year.”