The scene is ancient Persia where the mythical storyteller Scheherazade decided to use her gift to save the women from the angry king who would marry and then behead each wife within a day.

Exotic costumes and music predominated, as the tale of Scheherazade unfolded on stage.

The setting was in the marketplace of an ancient Persian city.

The Rose Hill Christian School Drama Club presented the play, “The Stories of Scheherazade” at the Raceland-Worthington Cultural Arts Center Wednesday through Saturday.

The drama club began practicing for the play in June and this is the first play of the season.

“There’s 50 kids in the play,” said Holly A. Harkins, director. “It’s a big production and I’m very blessed to have my kids. My kids work very hard.”

All the programs the drama club presents are free.

Students ages 4 to 18 sang and danced across the stage, many in colorful sequined costumes.

Rosalee Stafford, who is a junior at Rose Hill Christian School, painted all the sets for the play. Supporters called the Drama Mamas, Papas and Grand Mamas work with the kids and help with the props, costuming and other duties.

“It is a family thing,” Harkins said. “Costuming this year was very difficult. We have a lot of costumes that came from Turkey, India, and Egypt. We ordered a lot of things out of the states because we couldn’t find things here in the states that looked authentic.”

Two seamstresses made most of the other costumes, Sarah “Noni” Jackson and Linda Stafford.

“We’re just very blessed that the school lets us do this,” she said.