The theatre department will continue performances Friday and Saturday of ‘After Zoey,’ a musical written and directed by a theatre professor.

Hester, professor of theatre, wrote and directed the musical with his children, Jenavene and Conrad Hester. The musical was inspired by Hester’s sister-in-law, Martha, who suffers from a blood disease.

“She really has had quite a difficult life,” said Hester. “She has a very triumphant spirit full of faith and hope and I have just been inspired by her and have often thought of some sort of tribute to her.”

Set in the mid-1970’s, Hester said the story is universal enough for anyone to relate to the main character and the trails she faces.

“Everyone has someone that they really care about who is probably going through something very difficult,” Hester said. “Whether that’s an illness or some other kind of personal crisis in their life. This play deals with the question of ‘why is this happening to me’ and that perhaps something bigger is going on the universe and how does faith interact with that.”

The musical will perform on August 26 and 27 in Fulks theatre. Tickets can be purchased online or at the box office.