New Bermuda Musical & Dramatic Society (BMDS) play 'Missing Celia Rose', which opens on Thursday, is set in a racially integrated town in 1920s Georgia, but the story transcends race.

That was the message from Canadian director Terry Tweed, and other cast members The Royal Gazette spoke with.

'Missing Celia Rose', written by Ian August takes place in Harlan, Georgia in 1921.

The story is that after the Civil War, pulling together all they had, former white slave owners and newly freed slaves set aside their prejudices and their pasts to create a new community, Harlan.

In the play, the story line centers around the disappearance of the minister's wife, Celia Rose, and the town's only car.

Director Ms Tweed said ultimately, the play is about love and understanding.

"It is about how the world works," she said. "It is about what choices you make within that, in order to survive and to live as a good human being."

She said it is a memory play about growing up.

"It is about coming to terms with the past," she said. "When lies and secrets are held damage can be done. It is a wonderful mystery story."

Ms Tweed is from Ottawa, and has worked in French-Canadian, French and English theatre for over 40 years.

"I started off as an actor," she said. "I went to directing and then to teaching. Now I do all three."

She hoped that people would come out to see 'Missing Celia Rose'.

"It is a lovely play," she said. "It is beautifully written. It has lovely language. It is a character-driven play. It is about people and relationships. It is full of heart. Personally, I like that."

Patrick Dill, who plays Henry, main character Geoffrey Pitt's father, said the Eden-like Harlan falls apart because of secrets kept by the townspeople.

When the townspeople leave Harlan you get a sense of what race relations were like in Georgia, outside of Harlan.

Mr. Dill said there are parallels between Harlan and Bermuda.

"There are racial tensions, but people have had to get along and achieve things together to achieve an end," he said. "While there is always going to be racial tensions we have done better than most."

He said events like 'The Big Conversation' where people get together to discuss racial perceptions, helps Bermuda, but people in 1920s Georgia didn't have the tools to have fair community discussions about race.

"But they had the ability to live the 'Big Conversation' without going into it in depth in a verbal way," he said. "That is kind of an interesting thing to do."

Another actor, Jenny Burrell said: " 'Missing Celia Rose' is about how deceit and lies can change the foundation of a community."

Cast member Debbie Pharoah, said her favourite line in the play is 'we don't have the luxury of not getting along'.

"They are just faced with such hardship," she said. "They are poor and just trying to survive. It reminds me of here in times when we all come together.

"It is usually during times of adversity, like during Hurricane Fabian. Race didn't matter. Everyone came together to do what needed to be done."

She said the play had many different messages.

"The play has so much in it," she said. "There are things about honesty, and judging other people. Messages that are just in there without being preaching. It is just a great script."

Another cast member, Sheilagh Robertson said, "I find it interesting about peoples relationship with each other, and the historical context of people's characters coming out of a period of slavery and the Civil War."

She said everyone in the play carries the legacy of the Civil War period.

"Everyone, black and white, has brought away emotional baggage from that," she said.

'Missing Celia Rose' will be on at the Daylesford Theatre in Hamilton from May 14 to 23 at 8 p.m. For tickets check out www.express.bm or buy them at the Daylesford box office. For more information contact the BMDS boxoffice, 292-0848.