Editorial Disclosure: DCist contributor Jason Linkins has a supporting role in this production

Take a little Neil Gaiman, add a healthy dose of Jasper Fforde, infuse with a serious shot of Shakespeare and pepper with clever literary references throughout (and a refreshing amount of silliness), and you have Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa's Rough Magic, now being showcased by Rorschach Theater as part of the Shakespeare in Washington festival.

As a festival entry, this one's a smart pick - it's not your typical modernist revision or classic choice. Rough Magic toys with Shakespearean characters with affection and without undue reverence. A dramaturg (an unlikely heroine for sure, but an amusing one to anyone even tangentially associated with the theatrical community) has the inexplicable power to pluck characters from books at will (Shakespeare and musicals are easy; anyone too complex is too hard to control), but her abilities are put to the test when Caliban (Cesar Guadamuz) escapes from The Tempest and needs her help before Prospero (Vasanth Santosham) brings down all of New York City in order to destroy him. The script has plenty of clever allusions, and frequently posesses a lyrical quality that lets your imagination run wild when events are narrated rather than performed.

While an inarguably fun night of theater, Rough Magic doesn't precisely feel like a Rorschach production. The company usually is masterful at making the most of meager surroundings, and transporting us away from their theatrical space and into another realm. The staging is not without its neat tricks (our first look at Prospero is thrillingly horrific, for example). But the set doesn't conveniently lend itself to specific location changes, giving the show a more amateur look than befits the company.

The mood can also feel inconsistent. Frequently, things are kept light and goofy, and this is when Rorschach's performers and staging decisions succeed (think a drag number to "It's Raining Men" doesn't belong in a Bard-influenced play? Think again). But when things turn darker, it starts to feel a little disjointed: particularly those scenes featuring the villains Ariel (Danny Gavigan) and Sasia (Diana Cherkas), who are enslaved to do Prospero's bidding. As their master, Santosham has the appropriate gravitas for the part, but Gavigan is trying too hard to be sinister, and Cherkas isn't alluring enough to be convincingly part-siren. As a result, things can feel a bit off-center, particularly when the stakes are high.

But even with these caveats, Rorschach's Rough Magic is still a very entertaining and well-performed piece. As the dramaturg Melanie, Tracy Lynn Olivera is likably self-effacing. The show could easily be stolen by the delectably diva-tastic Grady Weatherford playing the fury Tisiphone, but we're going to award that distinction to Dustin Lomois as Chet, the "child warrior." Loomis gets every beat right as the innocent, steadfastly loyal lifeguard, slowly winning over Melanie with the audience's allegiance firmly behind him. Dynamic supporting characters keep things interesting along the way, from the endearing Mr. Mutchnick (Jason Linkins), who has lost his bluster since being plucked from Little Shop Of Horrors, to the geek-sexy grad student (Gwen Grastorf) who has quite the thing for Prospero. While Rorschach doesn't quite sweep us away from their humble Columbia Heights digs with this production, when such a talented group gets together, there's bound to be at least a little magic.

Rough Magic runs through Feb. 25 at the Sanctuary Theatre in the Casa Del Pueblo Methodist Church. Tickets are available online.