“The music is stunningly beautiful. The characters are deliciously fun, human and lovable. It’s got some edgy stuff in it as well,” said Jack Zerbe, director of the soon-to-be-performed “Man of La Mancha.” “It’s about the power of the imagination to create change, to transform people into something more whole and to make the world a better place in spite of difficult circumstances,” Zerbe said.

“Man of La Mancha” is about Don Miguel Cervantes, who wrote the famous novel “Don Quixote,” and who was imprisoned during the Spanish Inquisition. The play transpires in a prison, where the character of Cervantes is incarcerated by inquisitors.

The prisoners impose a kangaroo court and try Cervantes as an inmate. They accuse him of being an idealist and a good man. In his defense, Cervantes puts on a play in the prison (a play within the play) and performs the role of Don Quixote, a knight who is resolute to right the world’s wrongs.

“It’s moving, funny, charming and thought-provoking,” said Choral Director Wendy Looker. “It’s not your typical actors-break-out-into-song-for-no-apparent-reason musical.”

In fact, the author of “Man of La Mancha,” Dale Wasserman, classified the production as a “play with music” rather than as a musical. For this reason, Looker and Zerbe agree that students who don’t typically like musicals might still enjoy “Man of La Mancha.”

“It’s a serious piece of dramatic literature that also happens to have gloriously beautiful music. Because almost all of the music takes place in a play within the play, the music is part of a theatrical device,” Zerbe said.

Jacob Martin, a junior who plays Cervantes and Quixote said, “I can relate to Don Quixote in that there are a lot of injustices in the world, and sometimes it’s really infuriating, and a lot of times you don’t know what to do about it. I really like what Don Quixote decides to do.”

“I can relate to it in that I, too, am an idealist. I think the world can be a wonderful place and we should all struggle to make it so,” Martin said.

Junior Sean Finan said, “It’s a very relevant piece about the power of the human mind to envision a better world.” Finan plays Quixote’s right-hand man in the parts of Sancho and the Manservant.

Sophomore Allison Murray said, “‘Man of La Mancha’ is really empowering. The message is to believe in what you think is right and to go for it, whatever your cause is.”

“The audience should be warned that there are some really graphic scenes. It’s not all flowery,” Murray said. Murray plays the role of Aldonza, a woman who has had to turn to prostitution in order to survive but whom Quixote sees as a pure virgin.

Murray, Finan and Martin all agreed that the production process has been a great learning experience.

Zerbe said, “The rehearsal is a classroom. My responsibility as a director is first and foremost to the students in the piece, not to the audience.”

“I hope we put on something that will touch the audience, move the audience and make them cry. It’s one of those kinds of pieces. But, I’m not focused on that. I’m focused on getting the students to do the work of the actor,” Zerbe said.

“Man of La Mancha” will open on April 6, and performances will be held April 6, 7, 12, 13 and 14 at 8 p.m. in Sternberger Auditorium. Tickets are free for the Guilford community and $5 for the public.

Zerbe thinks that “Man of La Mancha” is a perfect fit for Guilford, “It all adds up to something that I think is deeply Quaker. Finally, the piece seems to be about the Quaker concept that there is that of God in everyone. That’s what Quixote sees in Aldonza, that of God, and he helps her to see it in herself.”

Martin said, “For the audience members who are optimists and idealists, they will be impassioned to really go out and spread that idealism and do something about it. People who aren’t so idealistic, who are kind of jaded or pessimistic, will find hope in it. At least that’s what I hope will happen; it’s possible.”

Looker said, “I just can’t imagine that anyone wouldn’t enjoy it.