Om at the Lobero, Thursday October 1

Take a virtuous hero and his young bride, toss them into a power struggle between a righteous king and his jealous queen, throw in a city of demons and an army of monkeys, mix in a little misogyny, and you’ll have the beginnings of the Ramayana. Like a bible story or a Greek myth, this epic Indian legend is rife with peril and adventure, unexpected plot twists and lessons in morality.

For Boxtales Theater Company, tackling a story the size of the Ramayana was a serious proposition. With Om: An Indian Tale of Good and Evil, they have proved they’re up to the challenge.

On Thursday night, 14 performers transformed the Lobero into a magical kingdom where stampeding horses shook the earth, enchanted thrones materialized and disappeared, and sacred fires burned only impurities. Throughout the evening, Montino Bourbon’s original, recorded music and live performance created the emotional texture for each scene, conveying elation, then grief, and then wonder.