PEACE IN THE VALLEY is an original musical comedy written by Jim Hesselman and J.R. Stuart with musical arrangements by Jon Kitchen. It debuted at the Derby Dinner Playhouse on August 8th, 2000 for an eight-week run. It has been professionally produced in eight venues, and has spurred a sequel, PEACE LIKE A RIVER, which debuted at THE BARN DINNER THEATRE in North Carolina for a twelve-week run in 2005. Rights are currently available for both these popular productions.

Five years ago, our playhouse produced a small musical which had a remarkable success Off-Broadway at the Lamb's Theatre (and achieved long-run status) about a rural 1940's church revival called SMOKE ON THE MOUNTAIN. It had been a hit on the small regional circuit when our producer, Bekki Jo Schneider, was coaxed into adding it to our season. It delighted our audiences and proved to be a smash success. Church bookings flooded the box office and getting a reservation was nearly impossible. Since then, dinner theatres across the country have kept a slot open each season for their "Gospel" or "Christian Musical", providing an audience-pleaser and a cash cow for the producers.

At our playhouse, we have since produced an original musical SHALL WE GATHER, by Dudley Saunders; I SHALL NOT BE MOVED, an original musical by another producer, as well as its sequel, HE KEEPS ME SINGING, involving the same characters meeting ten years later; and have brought back SMOKE ON THE MOUNTAIN.

Jim Hesselman and I believed we could produce as viable a script as any, and over the course of a year developed PEACE IN THE VALLEY.

It all takes place in a small rural church in the Midwest. At the opening, we witness the first service at Harmony Valley Church in 1835. The founder, who we learn likes being called The Old Soul, narrates directly to the audience, inviting them to join in the musical numbers, beginning with the rousing GIVE ME THAT OLD TIME RELIGION.

J.R. Stuart (Old Soul/Wilford Hazelwader/Raymond Hern/Reverend Patrick Matheney/Three Ancestors/Young Pastor)

Rita Thomas (1835 Choir/Zula Huey/Mabel Tempest)

Cary Wiger (1835 Choir/Coach Cooper/Bernadine Hazelwader)

Shaune Rebilas (Bessie Sue/Blossom Cooper)

Bob Andres (1835 Choir/Deacon Delbert Duncan/Mother Duncan)

Janet Essenpries (1835 Choir/Sally Cooper)

Bill Hanna (1835 Choir/Pood Cooper/Venable Hern)

Melissa Combs (1835 Choir/Hubert Quillen/Ruthie Quillen)

THE EVENING NEWS, Crit Fisher 17 August 2000

Derby Dinner goes with simplicity, shines with Peace in the Valley

Have current world events left you in a religious slump?

Then Derby Dinner Playhouse has just what it takes to jumpstart your spiritual battery. Peace in the Valley is a delightful show.

The story is centered around Harmony Valley Church, which has, throughout the years, weathered many a storm.

A dilapidated roof and water-logged furnace are just one of the many trials facing the small congregation. Its greatest test comes when the death of its treasurer reveals the church's financial debt.

Faced with the reality of closing the church, the members gather together to raise money by throwing a fall festival. The $1100 raised is but a drop in the bucket and unfortunately short of the $30,000 plus needed to make repairs and renovations.

But it is the strength and faith of all the members that discover that the people are the church, not the building. And that when they all gather together, no matter where, they are church.

Peace in the Valley, written by Derby Dinner's own Jim Hesselman and J.R. Stuart is uplifting and exciting. The script is full of warm and delightful characters, similar to those here in our own community.

The music, consisting of many classic hymns, is woven and re-arranged to create one wonderful number after another. One number in particular is the spine tingling "This Little Light of Mine/His Eye is on the Sparrow."

This number was wonderfully staged and rich in harmony.

The seasoned J.R. Stuart plays a trio of characters, turns on another stellar performance giving depth to each character, yet having a common thread of light through each.

Rita Thomas gives a chilling rendition of God Bless America which evoked tears from many members in the audience.

Finally, Bill Hanna was outstanding as the simple and charming Pood.

Hats off to the crew as costume/scenic changes went smoothly and subtle lighting changes made for many beautiful moments onstage. In a business where extravagant sets and flamboyancy run wild, Derby Dinner has returned to the subtleties and wound up with one great show.

LEDGER-TRIBUNE, Kare Bussabarger 13 August 2000

"Peace in the Valley" a smashing hit

A small church is in trouble -they can't find a pastor, their membership is dwindling and they have no money. What can be done to save this small church? These are the dilemmas facing Harmony Valley Church.

Derby Dinner Playhouse opened Thursday night with its newest play, "Peace in the Valley," a Christian Musical comedy written by Derby Dinner veterans Jim Hesselman and J.R. Stuart.

As dust and smoke rolled into the air, the play opened with church members sitting in pews at Harmony Valley Church, set in the year 1835. This was the year that the church was first established. The church was based on the premise that members need to live with "peace, love, and harmony" in their lives.

After this beginning scene, the play then flashed into the present day when the church realized they were in financial trouble, and that is when the comedy really began.

The church's troubles started during choir practice. It started to rain and the roof began to leak. Pood Cooper, played by Bill Hanna, ran to get buckets and bed pans to catch the dripping water. What was great was when Delbert Huey, played by Bob Andres, tripped and got his foot caught in a bed pan.

Pood was an interesting character. He was full of unusual information, like when he said that lightning strikes men more than it does women, or that beavers are usually killed by the same tree they cut down. Hanna did a wonderful job pulling off the dumb Pood routine and you couldn't help but laugh at him.

Two other memorable characters were Zula Huey, played by Rita Thomas, and Bernadine Hazelwader, played by Cary Wiger. These two are huge rivals within the church, and their comedy timing plays perfectly off each other.

Zula is the choir director and Bernadine has just become the treasurer. One hilarious scene was when Bernadine said that she heard Zula was on drugs. Zula was shocked and said it was a lie and she wanted to know how she found out.

Bernadine told her that when someone from the church had called her house to ask for a recipe, her husband Delbert answered the phone and said that Zula couldn't come to the phone because "she was on the pot."

This was an hilarious scene.

One of the best actors of the play, though, was J.R. Stuart. Stuart played the parts of Old Soul, Wilford Hazelwader, and Raymond Hern, and he was terrific. His outstanding comedic performance never lost a beat.

Since the church was in financial trouble, the members had to think of a way to try and save it. They came up with the idea of opening up their annual Harvest Day Celebration to the public. They made $1,242.67 from the celebration, but it wasn't enough to cover the $32,000 that they owed the bank.

As the members packed up their church belongings, they came closer as a group and shared old church memories. You may be wondering what happened to the church and members after that day, but you will have to watch and find out for yourself.

The play was humorous and it did have its sentimental moments. Aside from the constant character changing, the play was easy to follow, and it was nice to sit back and listen to the familiar church songs with open ears and a good heart.

As Stuart said, through the Old Soul character, "When you listen with your heart instead of your ears, that is when you really listen."