Hawkins United Methodist Church will sponsor three performances of the play, “From Ur to Eternity!” Friday, Feb. 21, and Sat., February 22, at 7 p.m., with an encore performance scheduled for Sunday, Feb. 23, at 2 p.m.

The comedic play, written by Richard Van Den Akker and directed by Sara Dionne, features a humorous retelling of the story of Abraham, Sarah and Isaac.

“It’s about Abraham and Sarah; he takes his family on a journey. Abraham is a little older, a little hard of hearing,” Van Den Akker said. “There’s a lot in there about trying to raise a child when you’re in your nineties. I tried to put a modern perspective of what they’re going through. It’s still set in Biblical times. We stay true to the story in the Bible.”

Dionne said the set presented some challenges, as the play takes place in an outdoor setting.

“This one is different because it takes place in the desert, so we have a big backdrop that’s the dessert and the sky. As we go through the different acts, we move pieces on and off the stage, so sometimes there’s a tent or a palm tree. There are a lot of rocks, because of the dessert setting.”

A cast of approximately 25 people, plus additional technical support people, makes this one of the larger productions the church has performed in the past 20 years.

Van Den Akker said he got involved with plays when his sons, now grown, began performing in the Vicksburg production “Gold in the Hills.” Initially he went to practice sessions with his sons but eventually began acting in the play as the villain.

When Van Den Akker asked who wrote the plays, a cast member challenged him to try it for himself. Since then, Van Den Akker has written numerous plays and had quite a few published.

The play is intended to appeal to people of all ages, Dionne said.

“It’s a good message and it’s good for the whole family,” she said.

Dionne said the production of the plays at Hawkins began as a fundraiser for missions work.

“We started in 2004,” she said. “We missed a couple of years during (Hurricane) Katrina when the mission team was working at the coast mucking out houses. Covid also caused the plays to be canceled.”

“Initially it started as a dinner theater, but now it has evolved to just desserts,” Van Den Akker said. “There will be a large selection of homemade desserts to enjoy at the production.”

In addition to the play and desserts, there will be a silent auction, with items donated by local artists and merchants.

Dionne went on to say that all proceeds from the play and silent auction will benefit missions work, specifically Wells for Congo and Mississippi Coalition Against Human Trafficking. The church was able to secure a grant that will match all funds raised by the congregation’s efforts.

Tickets for the play are available at Hawkins UMC for $10 each, which includes dessert.

Hawkins United Methodist Church is located at 3736 Halls Ferry Road. For more information, call the church office at 601-636-2242.