Harper Joy’s recent adaptation of “Moonlight on the Avenue of Faith” brought the novel’s tale of murder, magic, abandonment, prostitution and adultery to the stage.

Director Cindy Croot took on the daunting task of adapting the nearly 400 page book of magical realism for the theater, turning novel into production in six months.

But for Croot, the challenge of adapting the play accentuates the experience.

“I like the challenge of that artistic conversation that takes place between the adapter and the novelist – a kind of collaboration and distillation of the work into another genre,” said Croot in an e-mail.   “It is exciting to work inside an author’s structure, and find ways to translate pivotal moments to the stage.”

Working from the text of a novel where much of the story is not dialogue meant that narration and back story comprised much of the script.   This proved challenging for the actors who took turns narrating throughout the play.

“There are a lot of acting challenges in this play,” said Rosie Brownlow, who played Miriam the Moon. “It’s important to make the text active.   You got to have a point of view about everything, especially when narrating.   We found the narration to be one of the most difficult aspects of the play.”

The play opens with 17-year-old Lili mourning her mother Roxanna’s abandonment and eventual return.   Because Roxanna descends from a line of cursed and unsettled women, fate christened her migratory from birth.

In the words of her sister, Miriam the Moon, Roxanna “had been a runaway before she ever became a wife or a mother, before she came into existence or was even conceived.”

The play explores the history of Roxanna and Miriam’s family, their tragedy and turmoil living in the Jewish ghetto of Tehran.   After an affair with her rich husband’s father, Roxanna abandons Lili and luxury for a life of misery and prostitution.

In an unconventional twist, Croot uses video to help tell the story of Lili and her family.   Lili recorded moments on stage that were shown on a larger screen in the background.   According to Croot, this allows the audience to view the story from various perspectives, adding dimension to the stage.

The video also serves to enhance the anecdotal aspect of “Moonlight,” developing it as an adorned story instead of truth.

“I was also moved by the way that video can make things larger or smaller than life in the same way that memory functions to distort and embellish what actually went on,” said Croot.

For Croot, the decision to adapt “Moonlight” stemmed from her love for the story.

“I’ve been fascinated by the story for years: the notion of fate and the family line, as well as the pursuit of forgiveness, are very potent subjects for me.   I was drawn to the universal human struggles depicted, and also to the more magical elements of the tale,” said Croot.

This fascination also stems from Croot’s prolonged interest in the Middle East.   Coincidentally, Croot found herself in Iran for a theater festival earlier this year.   The experience served as insight for many elements of the play.

“I hadn’t planned the trip to coincide with ‘Moonlight,’ but it was a very happy accident to be there just before rehearsals began,” said Croot.   “It was very inspiring.”