Photo by Deb Gau Stuart Little, played by Gabe Louwagie, takes an unexpected trip in a garbage container pushed along by Mary Lanoue and Elly Lewis, in a scene from the MHS spring play. Performances of “Stuart Little,” based on the book by E.B. White, will be this weekend at the MHS theater.

MARSHALL — There’s plenty of action in Marshall High School’s latest theater production — and it moves quickly, students said.

In “Stuart Little,” there’s everything from sailboat races, to an adventure in a garbage container, and lots of humor.

“There’s some really good scenes you’ll definitely enjoy,” said Gabe Louwagie.

Louwagie is taking on the play’s title role of Stuart Little, an adventurous little boy who looks a lot like a mouse.

“Stuart Little” follows the story of E.B. White’s classic children’s book, said MHS theater director Dan Smith.

“It’s very much geared toward a younger audience,” but the play should still be enjoyable for all ages, he said. There will be an evening performance tonight, with matinees on Saturday and Sunday. There will be no cost for admission, Smith said.

This stage adaptation of “Stuart Little” is only about 50 minutes long, Smith said.

“It’s so fast-paced because so much of it is to engage a younger audience,” said cast member Sophia Gaul.

“It’s definitely more of a challenge,” especially when it comes to memorizing lines, Louwagie said. But at the same time, it was fun to play Stuart.

“He’s pretty much an energetic kind of child,” Louwagie said.

Many of the cast members play more than one role over the course of the play.

“I play Stuart’s older brother George, and I play a comedic character in another scene,” said Ethan Shuckhart.

One of the roles Elly Lewis plays is Snowbell, the Little family’s cat. Snowbell acts like “a bully” toward Stuart, Lewis said.

“It’s the stereotype — cats don’t like mice,” she said.

Playing an animal character was something Lewis wasn’t used to, but it was still fun.

“It gives me a chance to be more agile,” she said. “You get to be so much more creative with it.”

Gaul plays another of the show’s animal characters, Stuart’s friend Margalo the bird.

“She’s very kind-hearted, and willing to help,” Gaul said of her character.

Cast members enjoyed being part of the play.

“It’s been really fun for me to do,” Louwagie said.

He liked spending time with the cast and crew.

“For me, it’s probably the fact that it’s child-friendly,” Shuckhart said.

“Stuart Little” was a change of pace from the more serious spring plays MHS performed the last couple of years, Shuckhart and Gaul said.

“It’s a lot of fun,” Shuckhart said of the play.

Gaul said “Stuart Little” was a good way to introduce kids to theater.

“It’s very involved, and they’re going to have a good time,” she said.

Performances of “Stuart Little” will be at 7:30 p.m. Friday, and at 2 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday at Marshall High School.