An aging superhero comes out of retirement to battle a gang of fashion-conscious ruffians who have kidnapped his daughter.

A group of walking-and-talking toys find a way to save their store when it is threatened with being replaced at the megamall.

Those are the plots of two one-act plays being performed at Gunston Arts Center, celebrating the 10th anniversary of the ArtStream Arlington Inclusive Theatre Companies.

The shows not only give adult performers with disabilities the chance to shine on stage – they’re also a romp for those in the audience.

“I love to do funny things,” said Eric Niedringhaus, who portrayed Waldo of “Where’s Waldo?” fame in “Idle Playthings,” the second show of the evening – the one that had a cast of familiar childhood toys sleuthing around the mall at night to find a way to save the fortunes of Roy, their store’s owner.

Barbie, Ken, G.I. Joe, “Star Wars” characters, Carmen Sandiego and even Mrs. Potato Head were on hand in the production, directed by Elizabeth Cronin.“We were trying to think of as many classic toys as we could,” said Carolyn Ricks, who did double duty as an assistant director and the person inside the Mrs. Potato Head costume.

The two troupes rehearsed once a week for two hours over the course of 24 weeks at Fairlington Community Center, then moved into the large Gunston theater for tech week and performances. And like all theater productions, the clock moves quickly from the start of rehearsal to opening night.

“It’s not nearly as much time as you think,” said John Newman, director of “Crimes of Fashion,” which saw superhero Timberwolf (Tom Davis) and his supercolleagues come together to rescue Timberpuppy (Christie DiPlacido) and Chameleon (Maya Ewart) from the clutches of a group of fashionistas.

The annual productions, created by Inclusive Theatre in conjunction with Educational Theatre Company, start as a clean slate. The performers brainstorm ideas before selecting a theme for a show, then work on creating their characters.

Photo by Liz Demaree

“We draw a lot from our own experiences and our own personalities,” Newman said.

(“I’m like the queen because I’m a queen in real life,” noted Debra Sue Chandler, who played the Queen of Hearts in “Idle Playthings.”)

Along with the adult performers, there are mentors on stage, who both portray characters and help the others in case of a flubbed line or case of stage fright.

The mentors “are really such an important part of the process,” said Ricks. “For any person, being on stage and saying your lines can be challenges. [Mentors] learn how to really help each individual.”

“Mentors are a good thing to have,” said Davis, whose height and commanding stage presence have made him a standout in several of the annual productions. “Otherwise, we’re sitting ducks.”

Among the first-time mentors on stage was Ewart, who played the Chameleon in “Crimes of Fashion.”

Not everyone cottons to the process of developing and performing a script, but those who do return year after year.“I love it,” said Merry Casillas, who portrayed a take-charge Barbie in “Idle Playthings” and has been performing since she was 12 years old. As for learning the script, she gets help from her family – “and I have a big family,” she said.

Niedringhaus didn’t miss a line during an opening-week matinee before about 200 people. Like any actor, getting those lines memorized requires “practicing every day.”Among the veterans on stage was Steve Corn, who has been in ArtStream productions for the past five years.“It’s hard work – six months it takes,” he noted. “We get together in September, we all sit around and think about a theme. Using improv, they’ll write the script from that.”Corn likes to play good guys; past efforts to cast him as a villain didn’t work because he “has such a sunny attitude,” Newman said.

ArtStream also has theater troupes in Rockville and Silver Spring, and hosts camps, social clubs and classes – ranging from improv to Broadway show tunes – throughout the year for adults with disabilities.

The double bill of “Crimes of Fashion” and “Idle Playthings” finishes its run with performances April 7 and 8 at 7:30 p.m. and April 9 at 2:30 p.m. at Gunston Theatre One, 2700 South Lang St.