Last year, as part of Washington and Jefferson College's Children's Festival, writer and director Dan Shaw took local audiences on a trip to the Middle East with his theatrical adaptation of the tale of Gilgamesh, the legendary Sumerian King.

This summer, patrons of Shaw's latest dramatic opus will be whisked north to the Yukon during the heady days of the Gold Rush.

"Each year, I try to alternate the locales of the play featured as part of the festival between the Western and non-Western world," Shaw said. And because so many adults attend, he added, "It might be more appropriate to call what we do family theater instead of children's theater."

Whatever the age, Shaw promises a fast, one-hour, original, rollicking good time for everyone in this year's mix of characters, which includes fur trappers, Canadian Mounties, American Indians, prospectors and saloon girls.

Inspired by the poems of Robert W. Service (1874-1958), "Law of the Yukon" traces the exploits of people who came to the Yukon Territory during the Gold Rush and embraced the North as their new home. Although the cast includes close to 20 actors, Shaw stays true to what he calls the "Gilligan's Island Rule," which allows no more than seven major characters so as not to overwhelm a young audience.

"In my research for the play, I drew from real-life characters and events and set them within the plot of my play," Shaw said. "The major focus of the story line is on a team of three prospectors who gain a fortune, lose a fortune because they turn on one another, then try one more time to earn another fortune."

Without giving away the ending, Shaw said the work was inspired by Service's "Ballad of the Northern Lights" and includes themes such as greed, and the ability to appreciate what you have and where you are. While Shaw incorporates snippets of Service's poems into the play as scene set-ups and transitions, the bulk of the dialogue is written in prose. It also incorporates familiar tunes whose lyrics have been reworked to further the plot and will be sung with guitar accompaniment.

"Everything is kept under an hour duration with no intermission," Shaw said. "It's like a high-energy roller coaster ride that begins with a bang from stick of dynamite and doesn't give you a break till it's all over."

Robert W. Service, the man who inspired Shaw's play, has been called the People's Poet. With his very first poem, "The Shooting of Dan McGrew," Service earned more than a half million dollars soon after it was published circa 1907. Born in Lancaster, England, Service settled in the Canadian Yukon as a 22-year-old and worked as a bank clerk. He gained the personal experience needed to write about the Far North and the people who populated it in works such as "The Creation of Sam McGee."

"Service's Gold Rush themes also influenced writing the novel 'The Treasure of the Sierra Madre,' which was later turned into a film," Shaw said. "He also influenced John Lennon and Paul McCartney, who incorporated his rhythmic cadences into their tunes such as 'Rocky Raccoon.' "

Besides "Law of the Yukon," the Children's Festival will feature balloon artists, a juggler, a puppet show, face painting, a petting zoo, pony rides, inflatables such as Moon Bounces, and workshops in music, theater, dance and art. Food concessions include hot dogs, hamburgers, ice cream, soft drinks and design-your-own Eat'n Park cookies.

"We'll also have a visit by the Wild World of Animals who, in the past, have brought along creatures such as leopards and snakes," Shaw said. "The presenters talk about their animals and make their encounters fun as well as educational."

The Children's Festival will be held outside the Olin Fine Arts Center on the campus of Washington and Jefferson College from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday. "Law of the Yukon" will be performed at 7 p.m. Friday and at 11 a.m. and 4 p.m. Saturday. To learn more, call 724-223-6546.