Imagine it: You take cover from schoolyard bullies in a mysterious bookstore, only to be further goaded by a condescending bookkeeper who hits your insecurity button by telling you the tome he’s reading is “too much for you.” You steal the book, skip school, read it and live out a heroic tale of triumph set in a fantasy world called “The Nothing.” Is “The Neverending Story” an allegory on how internalized fear cripples imagination? A lesson about action leading to self-worth? A cautionary tale against book thievery? Either way, our underdog, Bastian, enters a dangerous world through a story that becomes indiscernible from real life, resulting in a heart-wrenching and macabre coming-of-age that shouldn’t be missed.

Contrary to the title’s implication, this story (and show) does end; get your tickets at studiotheatrelr.com.