Ora Fruchter and Christopher Scheer are Doppelskope, the theater production company which created the new Muhlenberg Summer Music Theatre family musical "Gruff!"

Doppelskope has been creating original shows since 2009, but "Gruff!" is the first children's production for the duo.

Scheer, a 2007 Muhlenberg graduate, says that when the pair was asked to do a family show based on "Three Billy Goats Gruff," a Norwegian fairy tale, they saw a real potential for environmentalist themes.

"We came up with the idea of goats in a junkyard played by actors, and trolls by puppets," he says. "It's exciting to share our aesthetic in this way, and to see our style grow and evolve."

Fruchter, who designed and made the puppets, explains that there are no villains in the show. "Everyone works together, and everyone makes choices that are difficult," she says. "Just as we make difficult choices in real life."

"There are 14 puppets in the show," says Fruchter. "They love to sing and dance and bring a lot of brightness to the stage."

Scheer praises the actors behind the puppets and goat costumes. "This is a great ensemble-based production," he says. "It's really exciting."

Muhlenberg students and recent alumni make up the cast and crew of "Gruff!"

"It's been a dream to use the Muhlenberg facilities," says Fruchter. "The theater is amazing and all the sets we use are green and sustainable."

Fruchter and Scheer created "Gruff!" to be a "sensory-friendly performance." The production meets the needs of children on the autism spectrum. There are no jarring lights and noises to upset those who are sensory-sensitive.

While remaining sensory-friendly, "Gruff!" aims to be silly, playful and interactive, according to Fruchter and Scheer, with a goal to entertain and educate.

"A big part of the work we do targets topics that are sometimes dorky or nerdy," says Scheer, "and we make them approachable. We hope that we will inspire the families that come to the show to invest in the environment."

"It's a show for all ages," he says. "There is something for the youngest of kids to the oldest of us."

"Gruff!," 10 a.m., 1 p.m. Wednesday - Friday, 10 a.m. Saturday, through July 26, Muhlenberg Summer Music Theatre, Studio Theatre, Muhlenberg College, 2400 Chew St., Allentown. muhlenberg.edu/SMT, 484-664-3333