The production that Kansas University’s Theatre for Young People will stage this week is European in origin but every bit as relevant in 21st century America as it was in 1973 France.

“Where to, Turelu?” uses clown costumes, larger-than-life vehicles that roll onto the stage and comedy relief to grapple with contemporary social issues.

“It’s a story about consumer materialism and how children, young people, all of us are consumed by technology and material things that we don’t necessarily need in life to be happy,” said Jeanne Klein, director of the play and KU Theatre for Young People.

“It’s got the French-European comedy flavor to it. All of the characters are clowns. The costumes are outrageous. It’s very much a broad comedy, but it has some very serious issues.”

The play follows Turelu, a simple, friendly wanderer who wants to help people along the metaphorical road of life. He meets and attempts to befriend a group of siblings who have left their rural home to see the world on their homemade tricycle after their father’s death. The older sister bosses her younger siblings around while the younger sister struggles for independence and the youngest tries to become the man of the family.

Then enters a fast-talking salesman on a souped-up motorbike, toting his parrot sidekick and a van full of material pleasures. He convinces the children to make him their leader so he can swipe the family’s inheritance money. The oldest sister recognizes his deceptive goals, imprisons him in his van and returns home with her new friends to enjoy the simple pleasures of life.

Klein said she had wanted to stage Turelu for many years.

“One of the challenges I have is trying to find good comedies for older children that aren’t going to be just slapstick without any depth to them,” she said. “This is a comedy that has ongoing relevance with children and media.”

“Where to, Turelu?” was originally created in 1973 by Henri Degoutin, Jeanine Vedienne and Yves Hugues, members of the Comedie de Lorraine of Nancy, France. It has been translated by Miriam and Lewis Morton.

KU student cast members include Bobby Sloan as Mac-Bluff; Julia Elise Hardin as Cesarine; Stephen Moles as Gege; Joe Plese as Turelu; Holly Rauch as Rascale, a parrot; and Lauren Marshall as Didiche.