NATCHEZ &045; A cast of 12 children and five adults have rehearsed since February for the production of &uot;David and the Giants.&uot;

They are ready to perform at 7 p.m. at First Presbyterian Church Fellowship Hall Sunday, and the public is invited, said the church music director Becky M. Jones.

&uot;This is the 26th children’s musical I’ve done, and this is the first time the little children are doing all the lines,&uot; Jones said. &uot;They may not know their lines that well, but they are all participating and asking me what next year’s musical is going to be.&uot;

The children range in age from 5 to 10, Jones said. &uot;I think they are getting something out of the experience,&uot; she said.

Jones adapted the musical from several sources, bringing dialogue and music to the appropriate level for the young actors.

Adults play the giants, she said. But they have only a few lines. &uot;Ralph Loe plays the part of Goliath. Kyle Greer is another giant called ‘space available.’ His one line tells the children that there is always room for another giant.&uot;

The story line goes beyond the slaying of the giant by David. &uot;After Goliath is slain, one of the children says, ‘So what? What does that have to do with the giants of today?’&uot;

The giants of today come forth, representing some of the challenges in the 21st century, including poverty, homelessness, drugs and street gangs, for instance.

The children seem to feel successful in their rehearsal and ready for the production, Jones said.

&uot;I think they’ve had a good time,&uot; she said. &uot;And I know the Holy Spirit will blow through that room at 7 o’clock Sunday, and we’ll all get something out of it.&uot;