Archeologist Cathy Kenyan is beside herself.

The mummy that she discovered is missing from the museum — and it is up to the cast of characters to help her find it during the “The Mystifying Mystery of the Mysterious Missing Mummy,” one of four plays set to hit the stage this week during the annual Fairy Tale Theatre productions.

The play was written by Richard Van Den Akker and includes a cast and crew ranging in ages from 8 to 18, said Fawn Francis, the director of the show.

“We started rehearsing the last week of May and started doing read-throughs since there are a lot of Egyptian words used in the play,” she said.

The Fairy Tale Theatre was first established in 1986 by Don and Kathryn Resio and is open to children ages 7 through 18, offering them experience in many areas of theatre including acting, learning lines, making costumes, helping with set construction and helping backstage.

“All of the kids participate in making the scenery, to looking around the theater for props, and they have to come up with their own costumes,” said Francis, “They are involved in every aspect except lights and music.”

Francis said that college students who had previously been involved in Fairy Tale come back and run the lights and sound.

Working as the assistant director for “The Mystifying Mystery of the Mysterious Missing Mummy” is Van Den Akker’s son, Noah, who said he has been involved with the Fairy Tale Theatre his whole life.

“I’ve been in a play every year except last year,” he said. He was forced to skip last year’s summer season to participate in a mission trip to Honduras.

Noah will be a senior at Vicksburg High School this year and said it has been fun working as the assistant director for a play his father wrote.

“He tells me his vision, (for the play) but you still have to work around the personalities,” Noah said.

At the moment, Noah said he didn’t see himself following in his Dad’s footsteps as far as writing plays, but didn’t know what his future held.

“Dad didn’t start writing until he was in his 50’s, so I’m not sure what will happen.”

Three other plays will be shown at varying times through the weekend and they are “Cinderella or Story of Big Foot,” “Once Upon a Crime – The Trial of Goldilocks” and “The Quest — A Fairy Tale with Attitude.”

Performances will be held at the Parkside Playhouse Theatre, 101 Iowa Ave. and run from Thursday through Sunday. Admission is $6 and $4 for ages 12 and younger. For more information, call 601-618-5457.