Don’t let the eeerily beautiful set give you a preconceived notion about Mr. Wolf, now onstage at Road Less Traveled Theater. Collin Ranney’s set is a stunning mix of swirling colors and cosmos, beautifully lit by John Rickus, and completed with projections and sound by Katie Menke. Theatre Companion and I discussed this while we waited for the show to begin: what was moving, the lights or the projections? It’s a captivating visual and sets an almost unreal tone for what you’re about to see.

When the show opens with a young girl pacing a circular rug in a way that suggests a labyrinth, and the blackboard behind her features sketches of the universe, you could be drawn into a mindset of the supernatural. Spoiler alert: don’t go there. That may be where director Peter Palmisano wants to take you, but keep your focus on the people and their compelling story.

The pacing girl with the chalk is played by Lauren Farrow in a remarkable professional debut. She’s joined by Mr. Wolf (Peter Horn) who is offering her instruction and guidance using some oddly constructed turns of phrase. She is startled by things like a new coat and sneakers and a chocolate bar (“It looks like feces,” she exclaims) that he’s giving her. He appears to be preparing her for what’s next (“the world is coming,” he extolls) and the set up is ominous.

We’re now fully in the world Mr. Wolf created for his young charge. It’s a world of study where he grooms her to look deeply into the universe and beyond and convinces her that her great knowledge means she’s a prophet. Alas, she’s a girl named Theresa, and she’s about to be reunited with her parents who she hasn’t seen for 14 years.

This is the heart of the story: the relationships within a family, how they disconnect and come together again. The wounds they make as they claw their way through life and how they try to heal.

Dave Hayes is Michael, Theresa’s father, who is the first family member to see Theresa again, and when he silently hands her a beloved stuffed bunny, the pain in his eyes matches her startled, questioning gaze. This is probably the most poignant moment of this story. The subtle moments here – the extended hand, the eye movement, the silence – is brilliant direction that is perfectly executed.

Kristin Bentley is Hana, Theresa’s mom and Michael’s ex-wife. Fierce, almost brittle in her hurt, she is an elegant reminder of how hurt can manifest in many ways. Bentley plays this role with an exquisite vulnerability.

Camilla Maxwell is Julie, Michael’s new wife, who lost a young child to illness. In Act 2, she delivers a powerful monologue about the depths of her grief and it is gut-wrenching.

While Rajiv Joseph’s script is rather different (yes, sorting through the first act takes a moment, and the true punches are delivered in act 2), it’s Farrow as Theresa who has the moments. She was plucked from a happy early childhood and stolen into a strange and manipulated world…but that’s all she’s known. Mr. Wolf is all she knows. The three “new” adults who are ready to envelope her with love are struggling, too. This ensemble is perfectly cast. Farrow’s fey childlikeness as she encounters a horse for the first time with Mr. Wolf is beautifully acted. The look of wonder on her face as she reaches up to stroke the animal is pure…and it just as powerful as her astonishment a few scenes later when she begins to recollect who her parents are. She ‘sees’ Mr. Wolf as the police officer and doctor who attend to her and Horn is wonderfully creepy and kind and determined in his three roles.

I really enjoy the RLTP program notes: this one includes an examination of the Stockholm Syndrome. Pay close attention to the set, too: Theatre Companion – an avocational visual artist – spotted a cool outline in one of the blackboard sketches. The metaphor in the art add to the subtle moments that make this show thought-provoking.

Mr. Wolf runs two hours with an intermission. Act 1 and Act 2 are almost a night-day difference so hang in….it’s worth it. It’s onstage to December 14, and tickets and details are at https://www.roadlesstraveledproductions.org/.