The family that acts together stays together — that isn’t exactly how the cliché goes but for the cast of Natchez Little Theatre’s production of “The Sound of Music” the saying rings true.

The cast and support crew of over 40 people is made up of more than eight different family units. There are mother and daughter combos, father and son pairs, mother, father and daughter groups and sibling groups all performing in one role or another at this weekend’s performances.

Natchez Little Theatre Executive Director Layne Taylor contributes the strong family ties in the theater to the variety of people needed and to make a production run and the roles different family members can fill in a production.

“Theater is like a great melting pot. Race, gender and age don’t work against anyone,” Taylor said. “All of those are actually an asset because there is no certain standard. We have families that are acting together on stage and a mother-daughter team running lights and sound.”

One great example of the homogenous nature of theater is the father-son LeBlanc pair of Moe and Derek LeBlanc. Neither LeBlanc is the stereotypical theater type but both have been active in Natchez Little Theatre for several years.

“Moe is retired military and not really what you think of when you think of a theater type, but in 2004 I needed his type for a production and now I can’t get him off the stage,” Taylor said.

But LeBlanc’s participation in the theater is more than just filling a need, it is part of his service to the community, Taylor said.

“He has always been very active in the community and we are a community theatre,” Taylor said.

The Timm family is another Natchez family that has picked the theatre as their place to spend time together. Katherine, Rudy and Aubrey Timm, all the children of Dr. and Mrs. David Timm, will all be on stage when the curtain opens on Thursday night.

The Timms are veterans at Natchez Little Theatre but three Morace family members are making their debut in “The Sound of Music.”

When Randa Morace, a Cathedral seventh grader who is active in Natchez Ballet, got cast in “The Sound of Music,” her mom, Pam, came along to rehearsals. It was then that Taylor discovered that she too had a great voice and Pam became a cast member along with Randa.

Not wanting her husband to be left out of all the fun, Pam volunteered Tim to become a chorus member.

Taylor said families like the Timms and Moraces are prevalent in theater because it allows families to all participate together. Taylor said in other activities, like sports teams, there are boundaries that can keep parts of the family on the sideline but there are no such barriers in the theater.

“There are very few activities that can include the entire family,” he said. “A lot of times there are age or gender barriers that can make family members spectators instead of participants. There are no such barriers in the theater.”

Tim Morace agreed saying acting together in the play has given his family the chance to spend more time with their active daughter.

“The reward is that we get to spend more time with Randa doing something she enjoys,” said Morace. “We would do just about anything for Randa. They grow up so fast so we are just trying to relish every moment we can with her.”

Taylor said that having family members involved together at the theater doesn’t come without squabbles and even a little friendly competition but that seeing families work together makes theater wonderful.

“Theatre is not a solo sport because you can’t do all the work at the theater,” said Taylor. “The family has be to involved at home with all the memorization. Working together like that brings them together.”

That is true for the Morace family as they are all enjoying the time spent together onstage, even Randa.

“Randa is delighted that we are involved in the play with her,” Morace said.

“The Sound of Music” is the final production in the 60th season of Natchez Little Theatre. The season was the Diamond Jubliee as the theater celebrated 75 years of existence by performing plays that were performed by Natchez Little Theatre in earlier decades. The Sound of Music was performed in the 1980s.

The play opens at 7:30 tomorrow night and continues with shows at 7:30 Friday and Saturday nights and concludes with a 2 p.m. performance on Sunday.