When Lydia Maria Child wrote the timeless words to “Over the River” in l844, I’m sure she didn’t have 29-year-old Nick Cristana in mind, much less two pairs of doting and overbearing grandparents, Frank and Aida, and Nunzio and Emma, Old School Italians to the core.

But, right here in Napa at Dreamweavers Theater, Joe Di Pietros’ “Over the River” lived once more through the talents of six marvelous actors on a Napa Valley stage.

Nick (Gabriel Frey) a marketing executive whose only close relations geographically (his parents had moved to Florida) are his Hoboken, N.J., grandparents Frank (Joe Lewis) and Franks’ wife Aida (Debbie Baumann) plus Nunzio (Don Laughridge) and his wife Emma (Rose Marie Sweeney) who can’t do enough for Nick, smothering him with kindness and kisses.

Oh, and let’s not forget Caitlin (Siobhan O’Brien) who, as the story plays out, becomes the grandparents’ last chance in terms of keeping Nick in good old Hoboken.

Nick dines every Sunday at one of his grandparents’ homes and the all-day and evening feast is really something he could live without.

For instance, Frank and Aida’s house is perpetually hot because they will not use their air conditioner; speaking to the audience Nick compares it to August in Ethiopia. 

His other grandparents, Nunzio and Emma, who dine with the family, are lovable and loyal but there’s no getting around the fact that Nick describes them as “the loudest people he ever met.”

But, to Nick’s credit, he loves them all.

One Sunday, the grandparents are shocked when Nick tells them that a promotion he’s been offered would take him to far away Seattle, Wash., and his grandparents, in shock, try to fathom just where Seattle is, somewhere beyond California.

To keep Nick from moving, a young lady named Caitlin is invited to dinner — but I won’t spoil your enjoyment by “spilling the beans.”

However, if you enjoy comedy mixed with pathos and tears — and even a few rounds of “Trivial Pursuit” monitored by Nick, this is the show to see.

How Nunzio, prompted by his wife, Emma, comes up with the right trivia answer via a circuitous route to a l9th-century envoy dispatched by the U.S. to France — none other than Washington Irving — had the theater rocking with laughter. And a question on who was Grace Kelly’s hero in “High Noon,” with the ladies responding “The guy with big ears,” also scored mightily.

Nick, a decent young man, is caught in a conundrum. His plight reminded me of another Hoboken kid who broke clear of home and New Jersey and followed a dream — and, of course, his name was Frank Sinatra, and Frank did all right!

So “Hats Off” to June Alane Reif who directed the piece. And, by the way, June is a fine actress as well as a director — I know, I’ve seen her perform and now direct.

And cheers to Gabriel Frey as Nick, a fine young actor whom we’ll be hearing more about in years to come, plus a  marvelous supporting cast.

Joe Lewis (Frank) with his over-protective wife (Aida) played by Debbie Baumann were first-rate, as were Don Laughridge (Nunzio) whose closing lines tugged at my heart with his tenderness for a his grandson when the chips were down, ably supported by the oh-so-gifted Rose Marie Sweeney (Emma) making her 20th or 2lst Dreamweavers appearance.

So with a fine piece of theatre so cleverly handled and played so well, you can’t miss if you happen to crave entertainment with laughs and tears rolled into one.

Dreamweavers’ final performances of “Over the River” are this weekend. Friday and Saturday at 8 p.m. and Sunday at

2 p.m. Tickets are $20. Dreamweavers Theater is at 1325 Imola Ave. (behind Golden Carrot), Napa. Details: 255-LIVE.

Ev Parker can be reached at evjenpar@mailbug.com or 224-9956.