If you missed the dinner theater at Jefferson Street Church this past weekend, you missed a real treat.

While we seem to be surrounded with stories of teenagers that cannot behave, this was the perfect chance to see a group of hardworking dedicated teenagers give their all for a project.

Under the production ofJudge John Hudson, the youth group performed the play &uot;By the Skin of Our Teeth.&uot;

Judge Hudson and the kids begin in January practicing, learning lines and working on the set. They work around sports, pageant, schoolwork and family functions to get it done every year.

Of course, they couldn’t do it without a lot of help. And while I cannot possibly list everyone in this space, here are a few:

Johnny and Letta Crocker, Kent Knee, Susie Ater, Mary Catherine Smith and Doug Wimberley are just a few of the people who were there every night working on lines, feeding kids, keeping order and building sets.

Working with me on the food committee were Lisa Allain and Joanna Bernard. Many, many thanks to all the people who bought tickets, served food, cleaned up, made costumes and participated in the project.

It proved to be a very bittersweet play for me. My oldest, Holly, shared the lead spots with SueAnn Bernard and Will Carter. SueAnn and Will did wonderful jobs and the three of them interacted wonderfully on the stage. And while I was incredibly proud of Holly, I have to confess to the occasional tear.

This was her last play at Jefferson Street. She had only held minor parts before and last year went so far as to tell Judge Hudson that she did not want to be in it at all. So this year when she decided to participate, I was surprised.

Too even bigger surprise, she talked, smiled, joked, teased, argued and wore a swimsuit on stage in front of a large crowd three nights in a row. While much of this is due to growing up I cannot help but tell you that I believe it is largely due to the youth group.

Our youth group is made up of children of all races and faiths. And while they always have a lot of fun, they also manage to do a lot of good things for the community and for each other. They genuinely love each other and work to take care of each other. When my husband passed away the youth group was there to support my children.

The play this year was dedicated to Bennett Jeansonne, who had been a member. During many practices and every night of the play they let my youngest, Emily, run around and tell them what to do without locking her up in a closet.

Another last this year was our location. We have managed to stage some very powerful productions in a small area. Next year we will be in our new building with a real stage and a lot more room.

So next time someone tells you what is wrong with the youth in this town and the next time a youth tells you there is nothing to do, tell them to give me a call. Because I can tell you where there is something to do and where some of the finest teenagers in this town can be found.

Christina Hall

writes a weekly column for The Democrat.