Imagination, a bit of mystery and the importance of family are at the heart of Columbia High School's production of "A Wrinkle in Time." The play will be performed at 7 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 20, and at 2 and 7 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 21, in the high school auditorium, 901 Ironville Pike.

" 'A Wrinkle in Time' is about three kids who are trying to solve the mystery of their missing father," said Liam O'Dell, an eighth-grader who plays Calvin O'Keefe, one of the kids. "They stumble upon three witches who guide them and send them off to Camazotz."

Camazotz is a place where the citizens are trapped in the dystopian hive mind of "IT," explained Amity VanBuren, a senior who plays both a postal worker and one of the citizens. "The people in Camazotz are all the same," she said. "They're all alike and they all think and act the same way."

Based on the novel by Madeleine L'Engle, "A Wrinkle in Time" follows siblings Meg and Charles Wallace Murry, along with Calvin, as they hold out hope their father is alive even though he disappeared five years ago while pursuing a new but only partially understood science.

Charles Wallace is a unique child who society has written off as a simpleton but who is anything but, said Conner Cless, an eighth-grader who plays the part.

"Charles Wallace is a very interesting person," Conner said. "He's supposed to be 5, but he knows a lot more than the average 5-year-old."

Ninth-grader Sarah Shetrompf portrays Meg.

She described her character as "weird," adding, "She's not like anybody else, which is said multiple times throughout the play. She kind of struggles to find who she is. She can't seem to fit in."

The journey the three children embark on begins as a personal quest, but it ends up having much larger consequences as they soon discover they might not only save their father; they might save the world as well.

According to director Janet Wood, the play is a unique opportunity for the students involved to stretch their talents.

"This script by Morgan Gould is structurally very different from anything we have undertaken before," she said. "Usually there are material set pieces, even if fragmentary, to establish location. In this version, that responsibility rests wholly with the ensemble and a few props. It has been a real stretch of theatrical 'muscle' for our young performers to shape the varied locations and to 'live' within them. They invite you to engage your imaginations and explore with them as they create the sound and space-scapes of Meg's quest across the galaxy from the swirling mists of Orion's Belt to sinister Camazotz ... to Ixchel, a planet of gentle healer-beings, and, ultimately, home again."

Liam noted that the show is fast-paced and entertaining for audiences.

"It's action-filled," he said. "There's a lot of wondering 'What's going to happen next? How did this happen? Why did this happen?'"

Even the ending of the show, which Conner described as "bittersweet," isn't a normal ending, said Sarah. "The ending will leave audiences wondering," she said.

Conner said audiences will take away the message "love conquers all," while Sarah noted that the show underscores the value of family.

Liam said he thinks the play spotlights the importance of believing in yourself.

"Even if you don't think you're capable of something, there's always something you didn't know you could do," he said, "but you can."

Tickets for "A Wrinkle in Time" will be available at the door. All seating is general admission.