This week a group of lucky students from Brown Elementary took a long journey: They walked the few blocks from their school to the Oak Street Playhouse in First Centenary United Methodist Church – and found themselves transported to the magical, musical world of an ancient Chinese emperor.

Brought to life by director Mike Sayne and nine volunteer puppeteers – who together devoted hundreds of hours to the production – “The Nightingale” is replete with imaginative characters ranging from singing flowers, to Oriental dancing girls, to the beautiful nightingale from which the work takes its name and the arrogant emperor who covets the wonderful bird.

The play tells the story of a greedy emperor who rejects true beauty – the nightingale – for the synthetic – a shiny, mechanical substitute – and almost loses his life in the process. And on a deeper level, it illustrates the importance of recognizing, and valuing, true beauty and goodness.

Adapted from the beloved Hans Christian Andersen’s fairy tale, the 60-minute play features a large cast of hand-crafted rod puppets, original music and imaginative costumes all created by noted Chattanooga puppeteer Fred Arnold.

Beginning in 1981, Mr. Arnold served as set designer for the Oak Street Playhouse and as creator/director of its puppet theatre. He is now director emeritus.

Mr. Sayne, the director of “The Nightingale,” served as a puppeteer for 25 years before ascending to his current position. A long-time student of Mr. Arnold, he teaches art, drama and puppetry at Chattanooga School for the Liberal Arts.

Puppeteers include:

* Derek Babb, a sophomore at Chattanooga School of Arts and Science who is making his first appearance at OSP as an apprentice puppeteer.

* Jenny Bacon, administrative assistant at First Centenary United Methodist Church, who has been with OSP as an actress and puppeteer since 1989.

* Cristy Clark, physical therapist at Siskin Hospital, began her experience as a puppeteer 23 years ago as a flower in that year’s performance of “The Nightingale.”

* Clint Cooper, faith editor at the Chattanooga Times-Free Press, has been an actor and puppeteer at OSP since 1988.

* Jake Collum, a sophomore at Chattanooga School for the Arts and Sciences, served as an actor and a puppeteer during his years as a student at Chattanooga School for the Liberal Arts.

* Teresa Hon, a Unum employee for the past nine years, is volunteering as an OSP apprentice puppeteer for the first time.

* J. Maddox, owner of the delicious store Candyland in downtown Chattanooga, is also an enthusiastic OSP puppeteer.

* Mike Tulloss, counsel for BlueCross/BlueShield of Tennessee, has directed and/or performed in a variety of OSP and CTC production over the years.

* Hannah Schobert, a junior at East Ridge High who participates in a variety of activities at First Centenary, is in her second year as a puppeteer.

Performances of “The Nightingale” are scheduled for 7:30 p.m. on Friday and at 2 p.m. on both Saturday and Sunday this weekend.

For more information or to make reservations, call (423) 756-2428.