The ritual of human sacrifice in Aztec culture provides the unlikely backdrop for a musical at City Lit Theater, 1020 W. Bryn Mawr Ave., in Edgewater. And though the setting might be an unusual one, the tongue-in-cheek plot has some familiar beats.

The story begins the evening before the Aztec Empire’s new millennium. A young man chosen for sacrifice begs his priest father to reconsider the ritual and then runs off with the emperor’s daughter.

Costume designer Andrés Mota says the stripped-down production is a fun and lighthearted interpretation of ancient culture.

“Since I’m Mexican born and raised, I knew that one of my duties was to show how pretty and beautiful everything is built, everything is worn and made,” Mota said. “So play with the textures, taking note of the natural materials, with the cotton and the colors, all the stones, all the metals and all these little accompaniments that they have and make it like a little minimalistic.”

Because not everything is known about the culture and their practices, “we can make the connections with what we feel, what we see and what we can imagine and what the script gives to you,” Mota said.

“Aztec Human Sacrifice” runs at City Lit Theater through June 18. Tickets are available on their website.