Be it simple escapist entertainment or a vehicle for sugar-coated messages about overcoming challenges or age-appropriate behavior, children’s theater is by definition for kids. But director Alvin Chan says Honolulu Theatre for Youth’s “Mud Pies and Magic,” a new play by Lee Cataluna, has an important message for adults as well.

“You’re not necessarily too old and you’re not necessarily too young” is the message of the performance, which brings to life two stories about intergenerational relationships of children and their kupuna, Chan said.

“Mud Pies and Magic” is the story of a 70-year-old man who never leaves his La-Z-Boy couch. The man’s young nephew stops by to interview him for a school project — What are your hobbies? What was your favorite subject in school?

The uncle doesn’t want to talk — he feels that he’s past his prime and too old to be active. He eventually admits that when he was young he enjoyed building forts.

“The kid helps him see that he can still get up and do things,” Chan says. Magical adventures follow.

Playwright Lee Cataluna, award-winning writer and Honolulu Star-Advertiser columnist, said via email that the stories were inspired by people she saw at the public performances of HTY plays.

“For me, part of the fun of seeing a play is getting to talk about it afterwards, to analyze it, to see what sort of creativity it inspires in your own life. I noticed that many grandparents take their grandchildren to the theater, (and) I wanted to write a play that would lead to lively discussions in the car on the way home, not just about the play, but also conversations about their own lives that would uncover connections regardless of generational differences.”

“Mud Pies” reverses the premise and has an active great-grandmother trying to get her tech-savvy great-granddaughter to put down the iPad, go outside and play in the backyard. It’s a tough sell, but eventually the girl agrees to chance ’em. “The great-grandmother — through magical powers — comes back as a kid version of herself from like the ’50s and plays with her great-granddaughter,” Chan said.

“They forge a bond through their play as children. I think that story — through the magic of theater — revisits the fact that your grandparents were once children.”

Cataluna hopes the stories will help strengthen bonds between keiki and kupuna.

“Students are often asked to interview a grandparent about their childhood. I wanted to play around with that and see what it would be like if it led to a different world for both the kid and the elder — a place they could discover and create together.”

Cataluna added that there is a personal angle as well.

“I guess as an older mom, I’m always trying to connect with my child in ways that transcend analog versus digital,” Cataluna said.

“I think many parents, regardless of age, are nostalgic and try to pass along their fond memories of childhood to their kids — ‘Star Wars: The Force Awakens’ really banked on that kind of ‘Look son! I loved this when I was your age!’ kind of thing.”

Chan noted that increasing numbers of children are growing up in high-rise Honolulu and don’t have a yard to play in or the opportunity to make mud pies.

“We’re hoping to start a conversation between children and their grandparents,” he said.

“Other than actual mudslinging and crazy virtual reality video games, I think we can also expect to see a lot of vintage Lee Cataluna humor. Just the way she looks at everyday life, especially in this day and age, is just so appealing — hilarious and touching at the same time.”

And are the characters drawn on Cataluna’s friends and relatives?

“They aren’t really,” she said. “If any of the characters are based on real people, I would say that the little girl, Kylie, is like me at that age. I hated the idea of making mud pies and getting my hands dirty. I’ve since gotten over it.”

Chan is directing a cast of five for the show — Maile Holck, Junior Tesoro, Christina Uyeno, Aiden Vincent and Sean-Joseph Choo (Vincent performs for weekend audiences, Choo on weekdays).

A free study guide with suggestions for story-related activities is available at htyweb.org.