Think your grandparents are loud, meddling and overprotective? Compare them to the ones in Joe DiPietro's long-running Off-Broadway comedy, Over The River And Through The Woods. In fact, this weekend -- Sept. 10-12 -- you can take your grandparents to the show for no extra charge.

In honor of National Grandparents' Day, Sept. 12, the producers of River are allowing any full-price ticket buyer to bring one grandparent free to any performance of the five given this weekend.

DiPietro's play concerns a grandson who gets advice from two sets of Italian-American grandparents. When writing the play, DiPietro drew on his relationships with his four grandparents.

Castmembers in River include Allen Swift (the voice of vintage TV character Howdy Doody) as Grandpa Nunzio, Marie Lillo, Heather Raffo, Paul Urcioli, Vera Lockwood and John LaGioia.

Over the River and Through the Woods, directed by Joel Bishoff, began previews Sept. 18, 1998 and opened Oct. 5. DiPietro and Bishoff's earlier collaboration was I Love You, You're Perfect, Now Change, still running at the Westside Theatre. Jonathan Pollard, Bernie Kukoff, Tony Converse and the late James Hammerstein are the co-producers. Over the River performances play every day but Thursday at the John Houseman Theatre, 450 West 42nd St. Call (212) 239-6200 for ticket information.

-- By David Lefkowitz & Kenneth Jones