It’s rare to see a production worked on by both director and playwright, but that is just the case with ”hellip;And Jesus Moonwalks on the Mississippi,’ which opens Friday at the Curtain Theater in the Fine Arts Center.

Marcus Gardley, author of the play, recently joined the faculty of the University of Massachusetts. He was hired in September to work in both the theater and African-American studies departments.

In nine years of writing, Gardley has completed 10 works, six of which have already been produced. In addition to ”hellip;And Jesus Moonwalks on the Mississippi,’ two more of Gardley’s plays will be produced next season.

‘The play is based on a familial story my great-grandmother used to tell me about her father,’ Gardley said. ‘He was born a slave and freed himself. He made a conscious choice to live his life as a free person and travel to the North. He dressed as a woman to disguise himself because during that time a black woman was less likely to be captured if she was caught traveling alone.

‘She would tell me this story often and each time he ended up somewhere new,’ he said. ‘The story always changed and that inspired me to take her story and put my own spin on it.’

”hellip;And Jesus Moonwalks on the Mississippi,’ is set in a mythical Civil War era and retells the myth of Demeter searching for her daughter Persephone in an innovative way.

A man named Damascus is brought back to life as a woman named Demeter after having been lynched and castrated. Damascus had been on his way to rescue his daughter, Po’em, from slavery and he continues his search as Demeter, meeting others along the way.

There were several drafts of ”hellip; And Jesus Moonwalks on the Mississippi‘ in existence when the theater department decided to produce the play, and director Gilbert McCauley was faced with deciding which draft to use.

Instead of simply picking one, McCauley worked with Gardley to create a new script that fused various aspects from the other drafts together in a way that seemed most fitting.

‘It’s normal for me,’ said Gardley. ‘I like working with different drafts over time. It is easier for me to put one draft aside and start writing another. Then I compare and contrast later.’

Of the new script, Gardley said, ‘I don’t know if I will ever be satisfied with the play, meaning that I feel like it is finished. There’s a lot of trial and error in getting a play right. [But] I feel more satisfied with this draft than I have about the previous drafts.’

The theater department’s production of ”hellip;And Jesus Moonwalks on the Mississippi‘ will include many cultural elements, such as folklore about Br’er Rabbit and traditional music.

Gardley said he included spiritual elements in his script because he ‘was fascinated with the use of spirituals as signal songs in the Underground Railroad. Codes embedded in the lyrics instructed slaves as to when, how and where to escape.’

McCauley also wanted to include drumbeats, which were often used as a means of communication in African and slave cultures.

According to the dramaturgs’ blog for the production, the cast spent one night of rehearsal each week learning the music for the show. Renowned musician, educator and historian, David Pleasant worked with the cast in a drumming workshop.

The theater department has planned several other events around the production, including a gala opening and a silent auction, which will include several paintings created specially for the set of ”hellip;And Jesus Moonwalks on the Mississippi.’ There will also be a reading by Gardley of one of his other works on May 6.

”hellip;And Jesus Moonwalks on the Mississippi’ will be performed at the Fine Arts Center’s Curtain Theater on May 1, 2, 5-9 at 8 p.m.. There will be matinee shows May 2 and 9 at 2 p.m.. Tickets are $6 for students and seniors and $12 for general admission.

Michelle Fredette can be reached at [email protected].