Backstage Pass

Hats, dresses, armor, comedy, and a castle. Everything you want from a fairy tale is here.

2012-01-26T11:00:00.001-07:00

Once Upon A Mattress 2012, a photo by MCT Inc on Flickr.

During a production meeting just prior to the opening of Missoula Community Theatre's Once Upon A Mattress, director Teresa Waldof asked, "What is funnier than armor?"

(And she's right. It's pretty funny!)

Once Upon A Mattress runs through this Sunday at the MCT Center for the Performing Arts.

A Hilarious Twist on a Classic Fairy Tale

2012-01-15T11:40:00.000-07:00

Teresa Waldorf is guest directing Once Upon A Mattress for Missoula Community Theatre and, by all accounts, the cast and crew are having a ridiculously fun time! We asked Teresa to tell us what she loves about this show, and here's what she had to say:

I grew up in the ‘60s and ‘70s during the age of TV variety shows. I was mesmerized by people like Dean Martin, Tim

Conway, Bob Newhart, and Dick Van Dyke. Is it any wonder that when a girl came along in the form of Carol Burnett that was even funnier than these great male performers that I was transported to a new place and dream? The smartly funny Victor Borge said, “Laughter is the shortest distance between two people.” Thanks to Carol Burnett, I discovered how to get instantly closer to people. By my senior year in high school, I was cast as Fred in Once Upon A Mattress, the role Carol Burnett originated in the show’s 1959 Broadway debut. And so began my fulfilling, lifelong journey into the world of theatre. When I heard MCT was producing this show, I knew I just had to get involved.

Thus, it is my distinct pleasure to invite you to jump on stage with the completely delightful and magnetic Jenn Hogan and travel with her to this new land across the swamps where you will meet one of the most amazing and talented group of actors and musicians I have ever had the pleasure to play with. And while you’re there, take a good close look at the place . . . it takes a magical design team and a host of support staff and volunteers to get to the “fairy” in fairy tale. And no comic romp like this could be possible without the most cracker-jack stage manager, Katie Manion, our gifted music director Greg Boris, and choreographer Lisa Deer, all of whom are literally always smiling and laughing and really understand the importance of yes.

I hope to see you at the show where you can forget your troubles, come on get happy, and shorten the distance between yourself and someone else.

—Teresa Waldorf

More About Teresa
Teresa Waldorf is the educational outreach coordinator for the Montana Repertory Theatre, an adjunct professor for the University of Montana School of Theatre and Dance, one half of KBGA’s The Ann and Teresa and Ann Show, a stand-up comic, a long-time Missoula actress, a huge dog lover—that is to say someone who loves huge dogs—a really good harmonizer, the director of Teresa Waldorf’s Summer Theatre Day Camp, the wife of a very supportive fellow artist/musician/cook/handyman/computer guy, the mother of two insanely funny teenagers who honestly may not even know she is directing this show, and the daughter of this great little lady who volunteers her time to sew costumes for MCT.

Adaptation of a Favorite

2012-01-05T11:00:00.000-07:00

A few months ago, Michael McGill received a phone call from a parent of an child with autism who wanted more information about an upcoming Missoula Community Theatre production, Once Upon A Mattress. During that conversation, Michael learned that this show was this child's favorite musical but that some technical elements of the show—lighting changes or loud noises, for instance—may not be ideal for someone living on the autism spectrum. So the MCT Production department went to work, discussing the ways that this show could be modified, and they came up with a plan for an adapted performance which will include lowered levels of light and sound, designated quiet areas in the lobby, and a team of autism experts and trained volunteers the night of the performance.

Missoula Community Theatre presents

FOR THOSE LIVING ON THE AUTISM SPECTRUM

Tuesday, January 24, 2012 at 6:30 p.m.

MCT CENTER FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS

200 North Adams Street • Missoula, Montana

Tickets by phone: (406) 728-7529

Download the social story for children.

A Holiday Time to Remember

2011-12-24T10:45:00.000-07:00

Here's a holiday message from executive director, Michael McGill:

With the holidays upon us and our families drawing near, we look with anticipation to the time that we share with mother, father, brother, child, or even a new grandchild. We worry about finding the right gift to bring a smile or a laugh, and we try to gather up enough ideas and money to carry us through all of the festivities of the season. But as we spend our energy decorating and planning, and stretch our money as far as possible—with part going to food and some to presents and so on—we must also be careful how we spend that other holiday resource . . . our time.

Our time is precious, and how we use it becomes very important—maybe most important. Time spent with friends and family is such a valuable part the holidays. It is the giving of something personal to you, your time. So get together and go sledding, play a board game, or go sing for your neighbors, but spend it doing things together. Give it the proper place in your holiday because, before you turn around, it’s over.

Hopefully it’s time well spent and remembered for a long, long, time.

When money is scarce, spend time. It’s worth more.

—Michael

"The Jungle Book" Translation to Spanish

2011-12-08T10:13:00.000-07:00

For the past few years, the Missoula Children's Theatre (MCT) has partnered with the Missoula International School (MIS) to translate English scripts into Spanish. Our local youth activities director, Don Mogstad, tells us about this process and about the upcoming performances:

A few weeks ago, Kepler and I auditioned 72 young actors for The Jungle Book at the Missoula International School. The unique thing about this audition is that kids will perform the majority of the show in Spanish!

Producing a show in a week, as the Missoula Children’s Theatre has done for decades, is a pretty difficult thing to do, and these kids will perform in Spanish, making the week even more difficult. This is the fourth year MCT has collaborated with MIS, and each year their students handle this challenge really well.

This year 70% of the show will be in Spanish with 30% in English to allow the audience to follow the story a little easier. One neat thing about this project is that it turns the kids into better actors. Because they’re speaking Spanish, they have to use more universal body language in order to communicate what they’re trying to get across to the English-speaking crowd. It’s really quite a treat to see. Even if you don’t speak Spanish, come over to the Missoula International School for El Libro del la Selva this Friday, December 9, at 3:30 and 5:30 p.m.

Adios!
Don

40 Years of MCT Logo-Wear Contest

2011-12-05T09:31:00.000-07:00

Rebecca strikes a pose while Gordon and Kevin hang out in the theater.

We're holding a contest to celebrate the end of a wonderful year. Send us a photo of yourself wearing MCT apparel from any time period, and you could win a $25 gift certificate to redeem in our Gift Shop!

Here's how to enter:

Find or take a photo where you are wearing MCT apparel.
Upload your photo to MCT by December 19. (If you're under age 18, please have your parent or guardian enter this contest for you.)
Put your name and email address in the message with the photo so we can contact you if you win.

It's that easy! MCT staff will pick their favorite photo on December 20, and we'll post some of our favorites in a future blog.

UPDATE December 20, 2011:
And we have a winning photo! Congratulations to the Pieratts!

"She Loves Me"

2011-11-28T09:16:00.002-07:00

We asked director Joseph Martinez to tell us about the Missoula Community Theatre production of She Loves Me, which opens later this week:

The cast of She Loves Me rehearsing.

Not many people are familiar with the title She Loves Me. The story is based upon a 1930s Hungarian play called Parfumerie which became a popular movie a decade later as The Shop Around the Corner starring Jimmy Stewart. And in 1949, Judy Garland and Van Johnson starred in a musical version of that same story called In The Good Old Summertime. For those of you who might not know those movies because of your age, you may know the recent adaptation of this popular story You've Got Mail, starring Meg Ryan and Tom Hanks.

I guess what I’m getting to is that, although not a familiar title, She Loves Me is good enough to have been retold many times. Even the original Broadway musical which previewed in 1963 was revived in 1993.

The 1994 cast of Missoula Community Theatre's She Loves Me.

In Missoula, this beautifully crafted story was first performed at the Front Street Theatre in 1994. That cast included now MCT executive director, Michael McGill, along with Alicia Bullock-Muth, Deny Staggs, and sixteen-year-old Andy Meyers (I was also in that production as the busboy). Now seventeen years later to the date, Meyers leads this cast in this romantic comedy with its endearing innocence and a touch of elegance, nostalgia, and sentimental emotions that never age; even in this age of technology and social media.

I hope that you connect with these characters, as we did, and hope that you have found, or continue to look for your "soul-mate." Who knows, they might be sharing your cubicle.

—Joseph Martinez

One Chord at a Time

2011-11-23T11:23:00.001-07:00

Last week our staff got together to play some holiday tunes. Michelle tells us more about this fun rehearsal:

Michael McGill leads MCT staff through a merry tune.

When your executive director is a talented man of music, then music is bound to be a priority in the workplace. One way that manifests itself at MCT is through Michael’s love of bands. In fact, he likes to celebrate the holidays by playing tunes with the staff. Not everyone on the staff plays an instrument, but that doesn’t stop us! We are learning to play, one chord at a time! We call this activity the “Holiday Good Time String Band.” We may not sound the best, but we have a lot of fun together.

Just your average Joe

2011-11-16T08:30:00.004-07:00

Joe Martinez was recently hired as artistic director here at MCT. And over the past couple months his transition into that role has been very smooth. Contributing to his success here are Joe's charming personality, calm demeanor, desire for excellence, and familiarity with MCT. You see, this is not the first time Joe has worked here. Joe started as a tour actor/director, and worked as home staff for almost 15 years. Then, in 2005, he moved to Arizona to help start the Arizona Broadway Theatre. ABT was a huge success and now we are very excited that Joe has decided to migrate north again.

On a personal note, it has been very fun having Joe back here at MCT. Last year, I reminisced in a post about the first MCT show I had participated in as a kid. Joe was one of the actor/directors in that show, and helped give me my introduction to the MCT experience. If you look, you can see him in a couple of the pictures.

Upon returning to MCT, Joe hit the ground running. He directed one of our performing arts camps at the end of the summer, directed Miss Nelson is Missing, and is currently directing She Loves Me. All in addition to his daily responsibilities! As an integral part of our company, and as someone who will be contributing to Backstage Pass in the future, we wanted to give you a chance to get to know Joe a little better. So here you go:

Full given name: Joseph Victor Martinez

Where did you grow up: Helper, Utah Places you’ve lived: Helper, Price, Salt Lake City, Cedar City (all Utah of course), Missoula, Montana and Phoenix, Arizona.

First play you saw: High school production of Fiddler on the Roof when I was 10.

First play you were in: West Side Story (I was a shark of course) junior year of high school

College: College of Eastern Utah, Utah State University and Southern Utah University

Theatres you’ve worked at: Utah Musical Theatre, Utah Shakespearean Festival, MCT (both Missoula Children's Theatre and Missoula Community Theatre), Put-in-Bay Players, Bigfork Playhouse, and the Arizona Broadway Theatre

What first brought you to MCT: I was hired as a tour actor back in the early 90’s. I played Pinocchio for 9 months and the Gepetto for 3 months.

Favorite Musical: Tough – There are so many. I enjoy the newer shows. Next to Normal, Spring Awakening. But there are a lot of good older shows as well.

Show you want to direct: Excited about West Side Story in the spring.

Favorite show you directed at MCT: Another tough question: Disney’s Beauty and the Beast, Blood Brothers and the high school production of Les Miserables.

Favorite Show you ever directed: Little Shop of Horrors in Phoenix, all the elements where there.

Most played song in your car and on your iPod: In the car mostly the radio, love the classic rock stations. No iPod.

Last book you read: To Kill a Mockingbird

Last movie you saw: Footloose re-make (loved it)

Last stage show you saw, that wasn’t an MCT production: Grace: Or the Art of Climbing at University of Montana

Guilty pleasure: The TV show Sell This House

Favorite city: San Diego – the weather's always perfect, and there’s a beach.

Places you've traveled to: I’ve been to all 50 states, as well as Canada, England, Japan, and Korea

First CD/tape/LP you owned: A 45 (who remembers those) of the Archies Sugar Sugar

Dream job that isn't theatre related: Detective, or Crime Scene Investigator

What brought you back to MCT: The community. It’s all about belonging to a community. MCT’s mission and the thrill of knowing you can make a difference in someone’s life.

To Serve Those Who Serve Us All

2011-11-11T15:18:00.033-07:00

This morning we received a call from the Missoula Senior Center, asking if we would sing a patriotic tune during their Veterans Day luncheon. Several of us were available, so we gathered together and sang for the group at noon. It was really nice to share a few moments with veterans from our community, and we wish all of our men and women in uniform a happy Veterans Day today.

Many folks may not know that the Missoula Children's Theatre travels to military bases each year. Here, our international tour director, Terri Elander, shares these photos taken at a Navy base and Army posts around the world, along with a recent letter from a parent:

MCT tour actor/directors Corey Roberts and Petey Torma with a Navy family in Guam

Missoula Children's Theatre's The Jungle Book at Army posts in Kentucky and Wiesbaden, Germany

This is how I view it. . . the way that we are able to serve the servicemen and servicewomen of the U.S. military is to engage their children in a special, fun project for a week. To an outsider looking in, watching children sing “We Do the Monkey” from The Jungle Book, or “Stay on the Trail” from Red Riding Hood may not seem like a life-changing thing. But having a Missoula Children’s Theatre production on post provides an opportunity for kids to be ‘happily distracted’ for a week. They may be separated from their mom or dad due to an extended deployment. They may have just moved (again) to a new location, and participating in an MCT show gives them a fun way to make new friends, and begin to assimilate into that new environment. Because we serve on so many posts and bases, MCT is something that is familiar—whether they are at the Navy base in Bahrain, Shaw Air Force base in South Carolina, or the Vicenza Army base in Italy.

Terri Elander meeting with Sandy Salisbury of USAG Hawaii

The feedback we receive from the field is vital to our program—it helps us make improvements and address concerns; but more often than not, the notes (we call them "love letters") serve as a reminder to our staff of the positive impact they have on young lives around the world. We received this note from a parent in Germany last summer, “To everyone who made this week happen for the children, thank you so much. It was a wonderful time, and my son learned so much from you all. We are three months into our one-year deployment without my husband and this just helped us all to have a fun summer and help pass the time. We all are grateful and will look back at this year with fond memories, not with sadness. Please tell whoever makes these plays happen for our children to keep doing it. It really makes a difference in our childrens' lives. I am grateful to you and thankful for all you love and hard work you showed our kids. We would not have had the chance to do this had you not served us. Thank you.”

Supporting Kids' Involvement in the Performing Arts

2011-11-10T15:25:00.010-07:00

This week Naomi, our grant writer, shares a story about PPL Montana's gift to MCT:

Grant writing can be a solitary profession, so it’s a wonderful bonus when a funder decides to present a check in person. We recently had that experience with PPL Montana’s Lisa Perry. Last month, Lisa relayed the good news that PPL Montana was awarding a Community Fund grant to MCT. This was especially sweet news because I have applied for PPL Montana funding seven or eight times and this was only the second yes we have ever received from them. Lisa said that one member of their committee was especially enthusiastic because his son overcame extreme shyness as a result of his participation in a Missoula Children’s Theatre production.

Lisa Perry from PPL Montana with MCT, Inc. staff.

This $5,000 grant will support Missoula Children's Theatre touring in Montana and our new school assembly, If Forests Could Talk. Lisa presented the check on November 3. It was a gloriously sunny day, and many of our staff gathered in our lobby to help celebrate the gift.

Monkey Wisdom

2011-10-27T16:33:00.000-06:00

Last year around this time we were excited to tell you about our first ever tour week in St. Kitts, and this year we were thrilled to be invited back. As the weather started to get colder and more dreary here in Missoula, two of our homestaff were forced to pack their bags and head to a tropical island in the Caribbean. They have rough lives. Chelle and Kevin had an amazing time in St. Kitts teaching the kids The Jungle Book.

After the show, the cast members playing monkeys were asked what they thought about being in a play. Here are some of their responses:

I was nervous in the audition but I liked my part because I got to wear makeup even though I’m too young for makeup. I didn’t feel nervous on stage but it was good being backstage. I wanted to be a tiger because I like doing tiger stuff like roars. I would like to be an actress because it’s fun.

Belle

I was excited when I got the monkey part. At first you are nervous but I learned I had to be patient. My costume was really big and the makeup felt like it went off. I liked doing “ooh-ooh-ah-ah” because it made me feel like a real life monkey. My mom waved and I did the monkey pose to her. I didn’t like Marco (her brother) making noise. He was disturbing me. I liked the cookie, too. I loved the play but I’m not being an actor because I like animals. I’m gonna be a horse rider. I’ve ridden a horse two times, maybe three.

Lia

The dancing and singing made me happy. I liked doing the play and I was very happy when I got home. I didn’t like the tiger because he was scary. I miss Chelle and Kevin. They were fun and good.

Khushi

I liked how we got to act like monkeys and jump around and eat fleas and I liked it that I had a hat. The first show was more fun because I got to eat my brownie after it was over and also a cookie. If my brother said I was awesome in the show, I would blush horribly and say it was very hard. I loved the Kaa song because I got to walk off the stage like a zombie. I would want to be a snake because you could do a lot of snake motions.

Henry

I liked the first show the best because I was in it. Then I got sick and I had to go home. My Dad said that was OK because I showed everyone I had star power. I love being a star and I think I will be one when I grow up.
Aspen

"Dracula" Opens In Missoula Tonight!

2011-10-21T11:34:00.001-06:00

Missoula Community Theatre presents "Dracula" | Maureen Roy Photography, a photo by MCT Inc on Flickr.

Just in time for Halloween, Missoula Community Theatre's "Dracula" opens tonight. Director TJ Charlson says, "There is such a wide range of talents onstage. We have everyone from Hollywood actors to people who have never been onstage before. It's a true cross-section of Missoula performers."

Dracula performances are October 21-30, and tickets are still available. Call the MCT Box Office at (406) 728-7529.

Same Community Theatre by a Different Name

2011-10-20T09:00:00.006-06:00

Today MCT changed the name of our community theatre program from MCT Community Theatre to Missoula Community Theatre which better reflects the program's purpose and scope. Community theatre has been part of the Missoula landscape for more than 30 years and will continue to bring families together in the future. The most compelling reason for the name revision is a simple reminder: the MCT acronym now works for both of our programs. The M in MCT stands for Missoula, the home of our programs.

"Everything about our community theatre program will remain the same," says Michael McGill. "And the heart of this program is still community involvement. It is an open invitation for Missoulians to get involved, from auditions to the performance itself, with the opportunity to watch fellow community members share their hard work."

The first show of the new Missoula Community Theatre season, Dracula, opens tomorrow night. We're delighted to have Howard Kingston (last seen as Max in The Producers) back on stage as Count Dracula. Howard is a great example of a talented Missoulian getting involved and sharing theatre with his neighbors. You can catch Dracula between October 21-30, just in time for Halloween.

A Little Help From Our Friends

2011-10-14T15:51:00.008-06:00

Dracula rehearsals moved to the stage last week and the Production department is busy building sets, adjusting lights, and programming backdrop scene changes into our digital fly system. The costume technicians are finalizing the costumes, and show director, TJ Charlson, is running around making sure all the details that need to come together before opening night are being taken care of.

Last week we had nine volunteers from Payne Financial Group on stage painting set pieces and otherwise turning plywood into Dr. Van Helsing’s sanitarium. Each year Payne Financial Group selects four local non-profits to volunteer for, and this year MCT was selected! We want to thank them for their hard work last week and for also sponsoring Dracula this year.

Parading Around

2011-10-04T16:52:00.000-06:00

This past Saturday the Missoula Children's Theatre once again participated in the annual University of Montana Homecoming Parade. This year's theme was "We are Family," and it was a great opportunity for us to give a sneak preview of a couple of the shows we will be presenting later this year; Rapunzel, and Winnie the Pooh.

Rapunzel is the newest addition to our tour lineup, and will premiere in Missoula this fall. We are very excited to add this show to our repertoire and, as you can see, our costuming department has already started making some amazing wigs for the show!

Winnie the Pooh is a licensed show (it will not be heading out on the road) that will be held as an After School Performing Arts Class. Even though this show isn't taking place till mid-winter, there are already lots of kids getting excited about the chance to bring these iconic characters to life.

After the parade, we were thrilled to accept the Governor's Award for our entry. What an honor! There were many staff members who put the float together over the weeks leading up to the parade, and we owe a big thank you to Don Mogstad, our local youth activities director, who oversaw and spearheaded the whole project.

We feel very blessed to be located in a town that has such a strong sense of community, and always look forward to events like the homecoming parade!

Keep your toes to the audience!

VAMPIRES!!!!!

2011-09-26T16:24:00.004-06:00

Hey everybody! Rehearsals for our first show of the 2011-2012 community theatre season are well underway! Dracula is looking awesome. Scary, moody, bloody, all of that good stuff. With one of MCT, Inc.'s best directors, T.J. Charlson heading up this production, it is sure to be a fantastic night at the theatre! Not to mention the all-star cast:

Count Dracula: Howard Kingston
Jonathan Harker: Christopher Allen
Lucy: Andrea Asta
Van Helsing: Alan Gelman
Seward: Jeff Haberman
Renfield: Luke Allgeyer
Butterfield: Kurtis Hessinger
Wells: Mandi Summers

Tickets go on sale, Monday, October 3 at 9:00 a.m. Performances run October 21-30, 2011. Call 728-7529 for showtimes and ticket information.

I hope to see you all there!

He Marches to the Beat of His Own Drum

2011-08-03T17:05:00.007-06:00

Every day I am fortunate to work with a passionate group of people at MCT. Beyond our passion for our work, many of us volunteer for organizations that serve the needs of our community. It was with sadness that we said goodbye to Stephen Millhouse a few days ago, but we swelled with pride as he announced his plan to march 1,460 miles from Missoula to Los Angeles to raise awareness about homelessness.

Stephen in the MCT Community Theatre production of "The Miracle Worker."

Stephen is a unique character, comprised from a life loaded with interesting adventures. He has been part of MCT for many years, sometimes hopping onto the MCT Community Theatre stage during in his off-hours. He is known at MCT for his intense sense of humor, and love of theatre.

Speeches by Stephen Millhouse and Missoula Mayor John Engen, just before the walk began.

Prior to leaving Missoula this morning, Stephen gave a small speech. The crowd choked up as he explained the catalyst for this feat: his desire to live his life to the fullest, yet with purpose after the untimely loss of his niece, Rachel, who was killed earlier this year by a drunk driver.

Stephen began his one man march by walking around the block with his supporters prior to journeying on his own.

After months of preparations, Stephen is on his way to his one man march! All of us at MCT wish Stephen well and applaud his efforts.

Movin' and Shakin'!

2011-08-01T09:00:00.001-06:00

The hallway was filled with desks and interesting decorations last week as we began swapping some of our offices around. And while we were at it, we thought we'd paint some walls too. And the new paint color is . . . yellow! It sounds pretty bright, but it's a welcome change from the gray walls we've been staring at for years.

Second-hand sale? Nope. Just our office equipment in the hallway.

John and Kevin painting. "Mellow Yellow" played on the radio.
And here's how it looks! (Fantastic!)

Terri in her new space with yellow walls.

They're off to a great start!

2011-07-07T17:00:00.003-06:00

Instructors for Next Step Prep watch their new students as they warm-up on stage at the MCT Center for Performing Arts.

The summer 2011 session of Next Step Prep started last week. On the first day, all twenty teens were on stage straightaway, learning basic auditioning skills, introducing themselves to their instructors, and warming their voices up.

This is the third session of Next Step Prep—The Acedemy for Musical Theatre, a six-week, accredited program that focuses on preparing students for performing arts college by teaching them what they will need to succeed in the real world of competitive musical theatre: acting, dance, and music. Returning instructors this summer are are: Dane Madsen, Traci Traasdahl, Troy Bashor. And beginning next week, students will have the opportunity to work with guest artists, including: Alex Gemignani, Erin Ortman, Marni Nixon, Andy Taylor, Alet Taylor, Mary Anna Dennard, Linda Murphy, Lynn Helding, and Georgia Stitt.

Follow Next Step Prep on their own blog throughout the summer or visit their informational web page for more information about the program.

Tour Tales: Pawel and the Microphone

2011-07-06T16:09:00.000-06:00

This Tour Tale comes to us from Lydia Jane, one of our TADs (tour actor/director) that joined the tour last January. Here's what she had to say:

There are a lot of things to love about a residency in Rock Springs, Wyoming. The highlight of our week was "our hero," a 12-year-old boy named Pawel. All of the kids that week were bright, fun, and well-behaved. However, in the middle of Thursday's rehearsal, one of our props went missing. The Ferrets in our show use a faux microphone and stand for their scenes. After lunch, the microphone disappeared. My tour partner Kat and I refused to believe any of the angels in our cast would steal something like that, but we had looked high and low with no sign of it anywhere in our rehearsal spaces. Finally, we dishearteningly approached the kids about the issue. No one fessed up to stealing or misplacing it. We left that day telling the kids that no one would be in trouble as long as the mic was back on the stand by the beginning of Friday's rehearsal.

That's when Pawel, Stagehand Ralphie in the show, approached Kat with his willingness to make a new mic. Kat told him that was very nice, but he didn't have to unless he really wanted to. We both shamefully didn't put much stock in his offer until we showed up for Friday morning rehearsal. There, thirty minutes early, was Pawel with a beautiful new mic prop in hand waiting for us. We examined his work of art only to determine, sorry Lesley (our props master), that his PVC pipe/tennis ball/paper-mâché creation was indeed better than the original prop itself! It fit perfectly on the stand too.

Poor Pawel, we fawned over him and thanked him profusely. He was beaming but very humble. We also made him pose for a picture with his masterpiece in front of the set. We were so proud, and the entire cast was also very grateful. It wasn't until the end of rehearsal on Friday that someone spotted the original mic prop tucked out of reach behind some sound walls in the dark backstage area of our performance space. We still have no idea who placed it there, but it didn't matter. The original prop has now become our backup, and Pawel's amazing microphone will hopefully travel all around the world and serve Tortoise Versus the Hare teams for years to come.

This all happened Kat's and my first week on the road as partners and with a new show. What a great way to start a tour! This served as a wonderful reminder of why we do what we do, and that kids will never cease to amaze you with their heart, drive and talent. Thank you, MCT from Kat and I and from all the kids who get a chance to create amazing art because of your program. We are honored to be a part of it.

2011-2012 Community Theatre Season

2011-05-11T15:30:00.002-06:00

We recently solidified our 2011-2012 community theatre season, and it looks like it is going to be fun! MCT Inc.'s executive director, Michael McGill, had this to say about the upcoming shows: “This season offers something for everyone, with several shows that will entertain the whole family. We’re bringing horror, heart-warming drama, hilarity, hummable tunes, and humanity to the stage throughout the next year.” If you are interested, you can check out the audition dates here. And the best way to guarantee yourself tickets to the shows is to become a season series subscriber. Following is a list of the upcoming shows. I personally am really excited about the first show! It will be fun to see a mysterious, creepy vampire portrayed, instead of the mopey, sparkly ones that are currently dominating pop culture. Let me know in the comments which show you are most excited about.

October 21–23, 26–30, 2011
Strange things have been occurring at Dr. Seward’s sanatorium ever since the mysterious Count Dracula moved in next door. His daughter has become listless, his patients have become agitated, and even the brilliant Dr. Van Helsing—a visiting specialist in other-worldly matters—is beginning to suspect a sinister connection between the arrival of the Count and the peculiar goings-on. Full of chills, thrills, and more than a few nervous laughs, Dracula guarantees to be a draining experience!

How it rates: Great for ages 10 and up.

December 2–4, 7–11, 2011
One of our holiday favorites, She Loves Me, returns to the Missoula stage after seventeen years. Set in the 1930s, this romantic comedy by Jerry Bock and Sheldon Harnick (Fiddler on the Roof) and Joe Masteroff (Cabaret), is also intelligent and sentimental. The story revolves around two feuding clerks who secretly find solace in their anonymous romantic pen pals—not realizing that they are corresponding with each other. She Loves Me is a heart-warming work that weaves endearing innocence with a touch of old world elegance—yet is as universal and relevant as ever in the age of Internet romances.

How it rates: This show is feel-good family entertainment. Bring anyone that loves a happy romance.

January 20–22, 25–29, 2012
The charming musical that launched Carol Burnett to stardom is The Princess and the Pea with a Broadway twist! Full of wonderful, wacky characters and beautiful music, Once Upon A Mattress is a hilarious, rollicking spin on a familiar classic that the whole family will enjoy. This is a fun (but fractured!) fairy tale if ever there was one!

How it rates: A classic Broadway fairy tale—fast-paced and funny. Your entire family will enjoy this show.

March 16–18, 21–25, 2012
Based on the Gospel According to St. Matthew, and featuring a sparkling score by Stephen Schwartz, Godspell boasts a string of well-loved songs—led by the international hit, “Day by Day.” This groundbreaking show draws from various theatrical traditions such as clowning, acrobatics, and vaudeville. Godspell is one of the biggest off-Broadway and Broadway successes of all time, but more than that, it is a joyous event that will have you humming the tunes all the way home.

How it rates: Popular music and the story of Jesus. Similar to Jesus Christ Superstar, but told in a gentle way with a message of tolerance.

April 27–29, May 2–6, 9–13, 2012
This iconic classic of the American musical theatre, West Side Story is a timeless version of the world’s greatest love story. Transporting Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, Leonard Bernstein teamed up with newcomer Stephen Sondheim for a Broadway hit. Set in early 1960s New York City, two young, idealistic lovers find themselves caught between warring street gangs. Their struggle to survive in a world of hate, violence, and prejudice is one of the most innovative, heart-wrenching and significant musical dramas of our time.

How it rates: Contains romance with conflicts and violence and tension of street life. Probably not for the youngest of family members.

Tour Tales: Nikki

2011-05-02T09:46:00.000-06:00

This week we are kicking off a new regular feature here at Backstage Pass. "Tour Tales" will give you an inside look at what it's like to be on the road as a tour actor/director (TAD), through the eyes of the TADs and in their own words. The TADs are often referred to as the heart and soul of MCT, as they devote their lives to bringing MCT's mission to children around the world. This month's story comes to us from Leslie Youngblood, a TAD who has been on the road for the past year and a half. Here is what she had to say:

I went into my job as a tour actor/director with the Missoula Children's Theatre hoping I could change lives. Who knew one little boy could change me?

This was going to be a tough week. Of the thirty-ish kids we were assured would be auditioning, we had sixteen. This meant cutting chunks of the show. This meant both tour actors onstage. This meant stress. This sense foreboding was not helped by a boy named Nikki. Yes, that's how he spelled it. He looked and acted about nine, but we soon found out he was twelve. He was loud at the wrong times, sat down when everyone else kept standing, and complained... a lot. But he was the oldest boy and had potential, so he was given a hefty part. Our contact warned us that Nikki has “anger issues” and if we sensed a melt down coming, to send him out of the room. “You don't want him to have a melt down.” I silently gave up then.

Wednesday was my first prolonged exposure to Nikki. He was goofy and disruptive, but I could tell he was trying. That's all I could ask. After lunch though, something was off. Nikki started nodding off during rehearsal. I asked him what was up. “I think it's my medicine,” he replied. I told him in two hours he could have a nap and asked if he could just hold out a little longer. He agreed.

When he actually fell asleep sitting up, I took action. I asked him to come with me and he became angry, swatting me away. I whispered, “You're not in trouble, just come with me.” He followed me down the stairs and after calling his mom, we found out that he had been given twice the amount of medicine he was supposed to have. Before he nodded off again, I could see the fear in his eyes. I told him, “No one's mad at you. I'm so proud of how hard you've worked today.” He smiled and was out like a light. I knew there was no use fighting and tucked Nikki in for a nap for the remainder of rehearsal. It was frustrating! This poor boy was trying so hard, only to be derailed by something out of his control.

Show day came. Nikki did really well. I reminded myself to smile at him more than usual. He always grinned back. After the show, I waited for Nikki to return his costume. He thanked me for helping him succeed. I smiled and said it was nothing, he had done all the work. Then he explained that this was his third MCT show. I was confused. I thought he hadn't been in any. Turns out, this was the first one he hadn't been kicked out of or quit. I was shocked; I had no idea how bad it had been in the past. Then he hugged me and ran off.

When you first start this job, they tell you that a lot of these kids are going through things you'll never know about. Divorces, deaths, every adult has given up on them, etc. I had forgotten this when I met Nikki. I was so worried about the show that I forgot to worry about him. He reminded me that the hardest kids to work with are often the ones who need you the most. For every lesson you teach, you learn one as well.

Taking the Next Step

2011-04-25T09:09:00.009-06:00

Summer is coming. This is less of a confident statement, and more of a hopeful plea (yep, it's still snowing on and off here). With summer comes all of our summer programming, including tour, day camps, performing arts camp, and MCT's Next Step Prep. Here Michelle Nigh-Mogstad, Next Step Prep project coordinator, gives us a look at how Next Step Prep came to be, and a little of what we can look forward to with the program this year:

Have you heard about MCT's Performing Arts Camp (PAC)? Every year, this camp gives theatre kids worldwide the chance to rehearse and perform an amazing ensemble production that takes shape and takes off in just two weeks’ time.
The PAC experience really challenges and inspires its participants. Many of the talented PAC kids decide to pursue the performing arts after high school. But PAC is only two weeks long. And many of the PAC kids—like lots of kids we work with on the road—have lots of raw talent, but not necessarily much formal training in acting, singing, or dancing. Sometimes training is just not available, usually because of geographic or economic reasons. And the reality is that kids who don’t get specialized training in the performing arts can really be at a disadvantage when it comes to winning college scholarships and placement in prestigious musical theatre programs.

This got MCT Founding Director Jim Caron thinking:

What if . . . MCT could somehow provide this training?

What if . . . we focused on seriously developing the triple threat skills (acting, singing and dancing) of each student?

What if . . . these kids could improve drastically in a short amount of time–say 6 weeks?

What if . . . this was a studio and classroom environment instead of a camp?

What if . . . this program was located right here at MCT?

What if . . . the students could earn high school fine arts credits upon completion of the program?

What if . . . like PAC, this could be a bonding, amazing life experience for its participants?

What if . . . we could be the next step a kid takes to pursue a musical theatre career?

“What if. . . ?” That’s one of Jim’s favorite ways to begin a sentence, because usually it leads to a big idea! And a new project for MCT.

What if. . . we created MCT’s Next Step Prep—The Academy for Musical Theatre? And in 2009, MCT’s Next Step Prep summer session was launched.

Next Step is an intensive six-week program designed specifically for aspiring young musical theatre performers entering grades 9-12 and high school graduates seeking master class training. Students attend daily core classes (acting, singing, dancing) taught by certified teachers. They have weekly private voice lessons. And the really cool thing is they participate in workshops and master classes taught by Broadway, film and television professionals. (REALLY awesomely talented folks!)

For this kind of high quality summer training, you’d usually have to go to New York, L.A., or Michigan. But now we’ve got it right here in Missoula, Montana! And we’re attracting young talent not just locally—but from all over the world. This year’s Next Step Prep summer session is June 27-August 5. We are still accepting applications. And there are financial aid packages available to those who qualify.

So . . . what if . . .YOU are a young performer thinking about making theatre your career?

Would Next Step Prep be valuable training for you? YES!

Would it give you a glimpse of the “real world” of musical theatre? YES!

Would you get direction on where to go with your dreams? YES!

Would you have the time of your life? YES!

Should you download an application? YES!

Fill an application out and send it to us. Check our website or contact Michelle Nigh-Mogstad or Greg Boris for more details—we’d love to talk to you!

Go ahead . . . take the NEXT STEP on the path to your career in musical theatre!

Rehearsals!

2011-04-15T14:30:00.000-06:00

Our final show of the MCT Community Theatre season, East Broadway Rocks, is well underway with their rehearsals. This week, the talented cast of 67 kids from schools all around western Montana, finally got to move onto the stage to rehearse.

For most community theatre shows, rehearsals begin around seven to eight weeks before the show opens, and most casts only get about two weeks on the actual stage before the show opens!

Anyone involved with our shows will spend weeks rehearsing in multi-purpose rooms we have on our third floor. All music and blocking (stage directions) are taught to the actors while they are crammed into the classrooms. Once it's time to move on stage, all the performers and the director are pretty stoked to actually find out how much room they have to move around!

Next season could be your chance to experience all of this! Stay tuned for season announcements and audition dates for our 2011-2012 MCT Community Theatre season!

First night on stage...

And come check out East Broadway Rocks! - It's going to...how can I put this...Rock! (Cheesy, but it's true!)

One of our directors, TJ Charlson, showing the kids what's up.

Schmoozin'

2011-04-13T11:10:00.000-06:00

Each year some of us spend time in Helena, Montana during the legislative session. Naomi Lichtenberg and Amy Farrington have a tradition of attending Montana Nonprofit Association’s (MNA) Nonprofit Day at the capitol, and Terri Elander testifies in support of a Montana Cultural Trust grant for MCT. Here’s what they had to say about their experiences this year:

Naomi:
It is a great opportunity to schmooze, catch up with colleagues from around the state, meet new people in the non-profit sector, see our beautiful capitol building, and meet legislators. This year, we said hi to Carol Williams, our senate minority leader from Missoula, and met our new Missoula representative Ellie Boldman Hill. MNA fed us and we had the opportunity to meet other nonprofit staff from around the state. We sat with Montana Audubon staff this year and they were surprised to learn how extensively we tour in Montana and elsewhere.

Amy:
It’s fun to get outside the office and experience something completely different. Our trip was educational and I continue to be blown away by the beauty of our capitol building. During lunch we sat with the Audubon folks where I learned about birds from the Bitterroot, and they learned more about MCT Community Theatre and our programs for children in Missoula. Later that afternoon, we attended a workshop on how to communicate effectively with elected officials and, I’ll be honest, when they began talking about lobbying, I panicked. That world is outside of my comfort zone but, by the end of the workshop, my perspective on the word “lobbying” changed. Next time we’re up there, I’ll be more comfortable talking to our representatives. I can’t wait.

Terri:

This past January, I had the pleasure of travelling to Helena (Montana’s capital) with Naomi Lichtenberg, for the purpose of presenting testimony to a committee of the Montana Legislature. Naomi had submitted a proposal for a Cultural and Aesthetic Projects grant, and we collaborated on a 4-minute-long testimony that I was honored to share with committee, made up of Senate and House representatives from around the state. It’s an exercise in brevity, (yeah, I like to talk). Normally, I’m happy to just “wing it” when talking about MCT, but for this occasion, we actually work on the testimony and do “run-throughs” where we time it, to ensure I stay within the 4 minutes—(how embarrassing it would be to “get the hook” in front of elected officials, right?). The goal during that precious 240 seconds is to make as much of an impact as possible and to assure them their investment in MCT is a wise one. And the wisest thing we can do is to simply share what we hear from people who have an experience with MCT. We are particularly proud to serve military families, here and abroad, so I shared the comments received from one mother:

"To everyone who made this week happen for the children, thank you so much. It was a wonderful time and my son learned so much from you all. We are 3 months into our one-year deployment without my husband and this helped us all to have a fun summer...we all are grateful and will look back at this year with fond memories and not with sadness. Please tell whoever makes these plays happen for our children to keep doing it. It really makes a difference in our children's lives. I am grateful to you and thankful for all your love and hard work you showed our kids. We would not have had the chance to do this had you not served us.”

And in case you’re wondering, I didn’t get the hook………whew….now let’s hope we get the grant!

Spring Cleaning

2011-04-09T11:52:00.000-06:00

Well, it's spring. At least that's what the calendar keeps trying to tell me. I however, am maintaining a healthy amount of skepticism, due largely to the fact that it keeps snowing every other day here in Missoula. Here at MCT, spring is a very busy time of the year as we wrap up our season, plan for tour check-in and summer training, get geared up for Next Step Prep, finalize details for our summer day camps and our annual performing arts camp, and start planning out our community theatre lineup for next year.

This year, on top of all of that, we are also reorganizing some different areas of the building. Our costume shop got a fresh coat of paint, and one of our storage rooms is being entirely overhauled to be much more functional. One of the changes being implemented in the storage room is the removal of an old set of lockers (from when our building was a school back in the '30s) to be replaced by some modern filing cabinets. We are all very excited about how much more functional the storage room will be, and there was a little nostalgia in looking at those lockers, and thinking about the fact that people who are now old enough to be my grandparents used to store their lunches and jackets in these lockers while they were in grade school.

The lockers have not gone to waste though. Several staff members (myself included) took some lockers home to use as storage in our garages. So now a little bit of history will live on. I was very excited about the re-purposing of the lockers and seeing them go to good use and it got me thinking. Resourcefulness has taken a big role in society with the economy being like it is right now, and I'm sure many of you are very crafty, creative people. I'd love to hear what you guys have done to re-imagine what an item can be used for. Let me know what sort of things you have created in the comments section!

Keep your toes to the audience!

Ahoy Matey!

2011-03-17T15:36:00.012-06:00

A group of sailors steps onto the deck of the ship, trying to keep their hands steady and their courage up. But any shred of bravery is quickly washed overboard as they find themselves face to face with one of the meanest pirates to ever sail the seven seas. That's right, it is Edward Teach, better known as Blackbeard. And with him are his fierce and colorful crew: Redbeard, Bluebeard, Graybeard, Yellowbeard, and Peachfuzz.

At least that's how it happens in Blackbeard the Pirate. Written by Executive Director Michael McGill, Blackbeard is the newest show to be added to our tour repertoire. For the premiere of the show there were about 120 kids split into two casts, with one performing on Saturday and the other on Sunday. The show was taught as a five-week, afterschool day camp. It was a creative, fun process that involved a lot of trial and error as we had to make sure that all of the blocking for all of the different groups worked and fit together.

The cast members worked really hard, and were very excited about creating their characters. That is one of my favorite parts about working on tour shows—watching how each kid adds a little of themselves to the part and makes it unique!

Blackbeard and company weren't the only pirates that were poking their heads around here recently. Missoula International School (MIS) had a need for a couple of pirates, so they looked to MCT to help them out. MIS has guests come in each month and read a story to the students as part of their reading program. Last month's theme was "Pirates," so Erin (fellow MCT employee . . . and my wife!) and I donned some pirate gear and set sail for MIS. We read the story How I Became a Pirate by Melinda Long, and had a rollicking good time. It is a fun story about a boy that spots a pirate ship while spending a day at the beach. The pirates take him in as one of the crew, but he soon discovers that the pirate life is harder to adjust to than he first thought. The students were very enthusiastic and were more than happy to help us out with shouts of "Walk the Plank" and "Shiver me timbers!"

Both of these events put pirates on my brain and last week, as I was laying on the beach in Jamaica (Erin and I finally took our honeymoon!), I couldn't help double checking to make sure there wasn't a pirate ship waiting just offshore.

If all of this pirate talk has you itching to go searching for treasure, you will have to wait a little while for Blackbeard the Pirate to wash up on your shores. There are a couple of rewrites and edits that still need to happen, as well as a test week at a local school before Blackbeard sets sail in 2013.

In the mean time, Keep Yarrr toes to the audience.

Fabric, Fabric, All Over the Place!

2011-02-23T15:20:00.001-07:00

We were busy at our desks when we heard the call for help, "Please come to the Main Street doors and help us unload a truck. Don't forget your coat!"

MCT Staff unload a large donation of fabric in Missoula.

The staff bundled up (it was 15 degrees outside) and headed down to the delivery door where we found an entire truck bed loaded with rolls of upholstery and drapery fabric. And that wasn't all—two more truckloads followed the first truck!

MCT received this large donation of fabric from Modory Home Furnishings (formerly Williams and Wagner) in Missoula. We're told that the retail value of the fabric donated would be about $30,000!

As you can imagine, the costume shop is thrilled about the donation. They said that most fabric will be used for our international tour. Susan quipped, "We can make a lot of villager costumes out of this fabric!"

Above is just one area of the costume shop's well-organized fabric stash.

Thanks to Modory Home Furnishings for thinking of MCT for this donation. Your fabric will soon be designed into costumes be found on cast members everywhere!

Walking in Memphis

2011-02-11T16:07:00.000-07:00

I spent this past weekend in Memphis, Tennessee for the UPTA hiring conference. UPTA is the first of many hiring conferences that Missoula Children's Theatre is sending representatives to this season. While MCT has been attending UPTA for many years, this was my first time attending that particular conference.

The conference was a hectic, sleepless, coffee fueled, four day whirlwind. And I loved it! There were almost a thousand people auditioning for jobs, and eighty-seven theatre companies looking to hire people. We talked to well over one hundred auditionees and came back with quite a few job applications from people that I am very excited about. Michael Detroit and the rest of the UPTA staff did a wonderful job of organizing and coordinating the whole event, and despite some minor setbacks (snow, hotel complications) they put together a fun conference that was efficient and effective.

Even though the conference seemed to be all consuming, we still managed to get out and see a little bit of Memphis. Now I'll be the first to admit that I am not well versed in musical history, and being from Montana I'm not very familiar with the south, so I wasn't quite sure what to expect from Memphis. What I found was a city that evolved by combining a strong civil rights movement, an equally strong love of music that speaks to your soul, and several heaping portions of barbecue pork ribs. As we stood outside with the snow blowing in our faces, waiting for the shuttle to take us to the auditions, a rep from another theatre casually noticed, "Even the snow tastes like barbecue."

I wasn't wearing blue suede shoes, and we didn't have time to see Graceland, but I feel like I got to see some of the heart of Memphis. We stopped by the Lorraine Motel, where Martin Luther King Jr. was shot, ate more barbecue ribs in four days than I have eaten in the whole rest of my life combined, saw Sun Studio where artists such as B.B. King, Jerry Lee Lewis, Johnny Cash and Elvis had recording sessions in the '50s, and wandered through the shops and pubs on Beale St.

While every restaurant claimed to have "award winning" ribs, my favorite were the ones at Charles Vergos' Rendezvous. Their dry rub was fantastic and the basement restaurant was packed. That being said, I thought the best evening atmosphere by far was found at Silky O'Sullivan's. The food was not as good as Rendezvous, and the set up was similar to dozens of other Irish pubs I've been to around the country, but Silky's has something that none of those other places do. And that is the alluring voice of one Barbara Blue. Barbara looks like she belongs in a biker gang, yet has a voice that will slip into your chest and grab your soul. (I was just glad it was her voice that slipped into my chest, and not her fist!)

Memphis was a great kick off to our hiring season, and as I type this reference checks are being made for our first group of applicants. I am scheduled to attend two more conferences this year, in New York and Atlanta, and I look forward to seeing even more of the diverse culture that keeps our country interesting. And more of the talented performers who are looking to help bring the arts to the world!

Keep your toes to the audience!

Turn off the Dark, Turn on the Safety!

2011-01-27T09:47:00.003-07:00

Over the past month I have read at least a dozen different articles about the new Broadway musical, Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark, and the accidents that have been plaguing it. Spider-Man is hardly the first show to have technical problems before it opens, and most productions get the kinks worked out with little lasting negative impact on the show. That being said, any accident is a serious concern for a theatre, and any actor (or climber for that matter) who has put their trust in the reliability and safety of their harness can imagine how it would be difficult to proceed when that trust has been broken.

All of this started me thinking about our own theatre, and the safety features we have that most people take for granted, or don't even know about. And right at the forefront of those features is the Vortek. Now if you are like me, when you read the word "Vortek" your brain instantly conjures images of one of your favorite childhood cartoons, Voltron. While the Vortek may not be made up of huge mechanical lions that can connect together and form a giant robot that defends the universe, it does add an almost immeasurable amount of safety and efficiency to our theatre.

Most theatres operate with some sort of fly loft. This is the area above the stage that set pieces, backdrops, curtains and lights can be raised (or flown) into and stored out of view of the audience. Each item that needs to be flown is attached to one of the battons, long metal bars that run the width of the stage. The battons are secured to the fly lines which allow them to be moved up and down.
Traditionally the fly lines are moved with a system of pulleys and counter weights that require the user to pull on ropes and physically watch the stage to make sure that everything ended up in the right spot. The Vortek automates this process, making it much more precise and safe.

Our Vortek controls 21 different fly lines. It can be programmed to move them all separately or in conjunction with each other. It can move backdrops to the exact same location every time and take the exact same amount of time to get them there. It can be run by anyone, even those in wheelchairs, since operation simply requires you to push a button. And, perhaps most importantly, it has safety features that prevent the line from moving if something is blocking its path, or if it has become unbalanced. Each fly line is flown in and out with poetic grace, and there is no longer any need for bulky and dangerous counter weights. Because of the easy accessibility of the battons for hanging lights and curtains, projects that used to take three people an hour to complete can now be completed in 15 minutes by just one person.

In this day and age live theatre has to compete with a media revolution. Movies with million dollar budgets, thousands of TV channels, and even the instant gratification of watching video clips online, all threaten to keep the general public out of the theatre seats. The Vortek allows us to create bigger productions that would have been impossible before because of all of the scene changes, and we can do these productions more safely and with a smaller production crew.

So even though the Vortek isn't defending the universe from the evil Zarkon, I feel it is at least deserving of the title, "Vortek: Defender of the Stage!" (And maybe we could install some lasers on it as well.)

Keep your toes to the audience!

And We're Back!

2011-01-18T10:02:00.001-07:00

Wow, 2011 has been a whirlwind so far! I can't believe we are already halfway through January. As I mentioned in my last post, the past 3 weeks have been spent training new tour actor/directors (TADs). Tour training is an intense process that really pushes the new TADs (and the homestaff) to the limits.

TADs in Training

The TADs spend their first two weeks of training in Missoula, working 12 hour days. During that time they are trained on EVERYTHING. There are the obvious things that they need to learn about, such as the blocking, set assembly, props, et cetera. But they also get trained on a bunch of things that most people don't think about: they have to learn the process that we use to teach a full length musical in a week, how to schedule rehearsals and use their time effectively, how to fill out financial reports, perform regular truck maintenance, wash the costumes, teach workshops, communicate well with kids, each other, and the people in the towns where they work, and present a positive company image. The list is actually much longer than that, but you get the idea.

After two weeks of coffee-fueled mental carnage, the new TADs hit the road and start applying the techniques they learned. Each team had a trainer with them during their first week on the road to help ease them into the tour. And now they are set and ready to conquer the road on their own!

Because training is such a crazy time, it's best described by the TADs that went through it. So I asked a couple of the new TADs to write down their thoughts as they went through the training process. Margie Mills and Anna Newbury are a couple of brand new TADs that will tour Pinocchio this season. Here's what they had to say:

"I was ecstatic when I was hired by MCT. I spoke with Jim and Chelle for three hours at my callback and felt like I had a really honest idea of what the job entailed in its entirety. With that "understanding," I assumed that training would be a breeze. Get some paperwork, listen to some inspiring speeches, learn the show, and bond with my partner. My good friend and current TAD, Caroline Garrison, had warned me that training was intense, but I naively thought of the other training and companies I'd worked for and shrugged off any intimidation I might, and should, have felt. Boy, I was stupid. Training was intense. We had hours and hours of sessions where every minute was filled with not only useful, but vital information. If you zoned out for only a second, you were looking over to your neighbors notes to see what other integral procedure you'd missed. It was exhausting. My brain felt like it was oozing out my ears. But then I realized why it was so mentally, physically, and emotionally draining. I was exhausted because...I care. I want to do an excellent job. I want to provide these kids with a life changing experience. It became clear very early in training that the smallest slip can cause catastrophic consequences in a young child's experience and I grew terrified to make such a slip. I don't want it to seem like I didn't have any fun. I had a blast. The home staff and everyone involved in our training were the kindest, most welcoming people you could ask for and I felt instantly comfortable discussing any issues or concerns I had. The new TADs became a team, a unit. We bonded in ways that only sleep-deprived, home-sick, determined and hardworking people can bond. To top it all off, to go through all of this with the beautiful panoramic views of Missoula around us, was a once in a lifetime experience."

"Hello to everyone who may read this: my name is Anna Newbury and I am a brand-spanking-new TAD, hired for the Winter season of 2011.

I have to say that until I drove up to Missoula the day after Christmas to arrive on time for training, I did not have the slightest idea of what I was really getting myself into. I did not grow up participating in Missoula Children's Theatre (MCT) shows; had I auditioned I would have been that girl, you all know the one, the little blondy having no concept of personal space, who relentlessly bounces off the walls. . . yeah probably wouldn't have been cast.

Consequently, when I was offered a job at MCT I had my reservations about joining the team. I was nervous as to whether or not it would push me forward as an actor or hold me back. I was afraid of life on the road and what toll it would take on my state of being- emotionally, physically, and mentally. I was subconsciously trying to forget about the driving portion of the job because I couldn't wrap my mind around the hazard that it presented. Ultimately, there were so many unknown factors, and that is what concerned me the most.

Despite my reservations, I also had certain things that I greatly looked forward to. I couldn't wait to work with and invest in kids. I looked forward to being around such vivid imaginations, to teaching life skills that matter in the long run, and to providing memories that will stick with these kids for their whole lives. I have always been an adventurous lady, and I have always been someone who is willing to risk it all, move forward and overcome whatever obstacles lie ahead. As a result, the good outweighed the bad and I decided to take a chance on MCT. Bring on those unknowns!

SO THE 14-DAY TRAINING BEGINS!

When we learned our whole show in two days, I figured out quickly that approximately 20% of our job is related to acting. Throughout the rest of the week l learned about the philosophies of the company, and how to teach in accordance with those philosophies. 20% of this job is driving, 20% is being a salesman, 20% is being an accountant, 20% is filing reports, 20% is being a teacher, 20% is wearing a million dollar smile, and 60% is problem solving. I discovered that this job is not only designed to teach children life skills but also to teach me. There are so many facets to this job; I was overwhelmed in the two weeks supplied for training to cram it all into my little pea-brain. I questioned my ability to do this job at times, but I found that maintaining a healthy perspective was of utmost importance. I knew that I was hired by this company because they saw something in me; they new I had what it takes to do this job. Because they trusted me, it was now time for me to trust them. I came to learn that I was not going to be out there alone. My tour partner Margie has come to be a huge anchor of encouragement and support. I also came to learn that everyone on the homestaff has got my back and would bend over backwards to help us out. We are a team, without which none of us would achieve anything.
Some people go into this job being self-centered and when they come out on the other end they have been completely transformed. Others, crumble because of unwillingness to allow themselves a change in perspective. I went into this job thinking that I was taking a risk on Missoula Children's Theatre, but I have come to see the weight of what MCT is trusting me with. If you added up the percentages above, you'll notice that I suck at math. They add up to 200%. . . but I think that it takes no less than someone putting in 200% of themselves to do this job to the fullest. My only hope is that I don't let you down MCT."

The new TADs of Winter 2011

We are very excited to have Margie, Anna, and the rest of the new TADs joining the tour and heading out to work with the kids!

Keep your toes to the audience!

From the Archives: A look back . . . way back

2010-12-28T12:05:00.003-07:00

I hope you all had a good holiday break (or are having a good holiday break for those of you that have time off this week), and were able to get some time to rest and spend time with loved ones. For those of us who work in the tour department here at MCT we started back in full force yesterday. This week we start training the new tour actor/directors (TADs) that will be heading out on the road for the first time in a couple of weeks. Training is a crazy two-week process that we lovingly refer to as "theatre boot camp." I'll make another post next week to explain it a little more.

Training marks the beginning of our 2011 season, but before we switch out all of the calendars I'd like to pause for a moment. Normally this is the time of year that people look back at "the year that was" and reflect on what happened and how they have grown. However, watching all of the new TADs start training made me start to think about my first experience with MCT. So, I'm actually going to look a little farther back during my moment of personal evaluation. Today we are going all the way back to the spring of 1997!

In the spring of 1997 I was finishing up my junior year of high school in Seeley Lake, Montana. Seeley Lake is a small town (just under three thousand residents) about an hour north of Missoula. The high school in Seeley Lake has the distinction of being the only high school in Missoula county that doesn't have a drama or theatre program. Now, I had done lots of theatre growing up, and had even been on a speech team and a drama team at previous schools. However, when I found out that there wasn't a drama program, I decided, "No big deal, I'll just try sports instead." Little did I know that "sports" were not created for six foot tall, 120 lb. scrawny kids who have glasses and a tendency to wear Star Wars shirts.

Enter Missoula Children's Theatre! At some point during that year, MCT met with some folks from Missoula County Public Schools and decided to put together a six-week theatre program for the students in Seeley Lake that included theatre based workshops and a show to be performed at the end of those six weeks. That experience changed my life. We performed the show The Wiz of the West, a western take on the classic Wizard of Oz story. I played the "Scared Crow," a terrified bird that helps Dotty (Dorothy) on her way.

Recently, while going through some of the archived photos we have here at MCT, I found some pictures from that program. It was sort of surreal, looking back at that production. Seeing how young I was, and how excited the MCT staff were to be working on that project. These were the same staff members who trained me when I became a TAD for the first time, and their enthusiasm and love for this company was contagious.

As we train the new TADs who are about to head out on the road for the first time, I can only hope that I am able to impart that same enthusiasm and love to them that was given to me. This tour we are going to have 35 teams out on the road, and several of the TADs performed in MCT plays as kids. Who knows, maybe in another decade one of them will be adding their memories to the blog!

I'm the one in the Animal t-shirt

I hope that as 2010 comes to a close you take a moment to look back at the year, or the decade, and find a forgotten photo or memory. You might just get a glimpse of the framework that helped build the person you are today.

Keep your toes to the audience!

White elephant!

2010-12-21T13:49:00.037-07:00

At noon today, Michael began playing holiday tunes on the tuba in the hallway just outside our administrative offices. Greg joined in moments later and, let me tell you, it was glorious . . . ly funny.

Greg and Michael bugle in the hallway, alerting the staff that the potluck is about to start.

The staff gathered in the conference room for a quick staff meeting followed by potluck and, yes, the white elephant gift exchange!

White elephant gifts lined up . . . ready to amuse.

MCT staff goes all out for this event. I mean, where else can you get a plastic molded angel or a couple of awesome movies on VHS these days? Nowhere!

MCT staff are holding up their gifts, eager for them to be stolen.

Of course, some gifts were a little scary:

Michael decided that his gift was best left in the box.

And some gifts were great. Here are a few that stood out today:

Blogger Marissa got the whole state of Montana!

Suzanne got a tartan hand-warmer! Okay. It's a golf club cover.

Greg got a monkey playing a guitar!

So there you have it. If you ever need an awesome gift idea, give us a call because we are clearly talented at gift-giving.

It's a Puzzler

2010-12-17T15:21:00.000-07:00

Each year Missoula Children's Theatre visits hundreds of communities all over the country. Our tour marketing office is responsible for booking these residencies and planning out where each of our tour teams will travel. As you can imagine, it is quite the process! Here Tour Marketing Director Jonna Michelson explains how she and the rest of the marketing staff make it all happen:

Admittedly, it’s one of my favorite times of the year…and not just for the obvious reasons, breathtaking outdoor light displays, the big guy in the red suit and the way my four-year-old’s eyes light up each time she talks about Rudolph. It’s time to route the North American portion of the school year tour here in the Tour Marketing office—nearly 800 one-week residencies that will take place over the course of 9 months, September 2011 through May 2012!

And why is this so great? Well, because I love a good puzzle! And this is truly the most complicated 800 piece puzzle—a puzzle requiring a level of strategy comparable to chess. I’ll attempt to provide some clarity . . . you see, the way in which we route the tour is as unique as our program. Where most touring theatres book their tours by show title, we book by date. Approximately one year in advance of the departure date for our red truck fleet from Missoula, we send out a “request for dates” to interested presenters around the country, encompassing all 50 states and Canada. This request prompts each organization to provide us with the week options they prefer to host a one-week residency in their community.

From each organization request received we print routing cards (a.k.a. puzzle pieces), each card representing one organization with the corresponding town name and state. These are printed on an array of colored cardstock, each color representing specific regions of the country. This provides a quick visual on our routing boards as to where each team will travel over the course of the year. So, for example, blue represents the Northwest including Washington, Oregon and Idaho. Yellow is the Southeast including Kentucky, Alabama, Tennessee, Georgia, Virginia, Louisiana, West Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina and Florida. And so on…at this juncture we create a skeleton puzzle—for those puzzle lovers out there—we put the “edge pieces” together. During this routing process we’re balancing several variables: the requested weeks, the distance from one community to another (we have strict safety guidelines on the number of miles a team can drive each Sunday), the community’s show history (we document each organizations past show history so we’re returning with a title they haven’t presented in the recent past), along with any other special requests such as “We’re presenting the Cinderella ballet this year so we can’t have MCT’s Cinderella.” “We don’t want the same title as our neighboring school.” or “We need to have a non-gender title.”

Over the course of several weeks the “puzzle” morphs by the moment. Cards are continually jockeyed into new positions as we make room for new requests. The ultimate goal is to find a good “fit”—date and show title—on the schedule for each organization requesting a residency. And slowly, slowly, over the course of several weeks, the tour is set—every puzzle piece has a place and consequently each location has a date and show title. To rule out any routing mistakes we then cross-check against the forms received, mileage from one community to the next, show history and special requests. We then double-check and then for good measure, we check again. From here we issue contracts and begin the process of filling open weeks. We’ll be in this stage for the next 15 months, while simultaneously filling weeks for the current school year tour and the upcoming summer. Whew!

And to keep us on our toes, we’ll begin this very same process for the 2012 Summer Tour in July. So, there you have it—one more piece of information to add to the much larger puzzle known as MCT!

Jonna, Haley, and Scott working in the marketing office

Just a typical day in the office.

2010-12-16T09:40:00.016-07:00

A theatre is a great place to work when you decide that you should become an impromptu wedding party. Our friend Scott from Tour Marketing just got married so, for his first day back, we headed down to the basement where our costumes and props are stored. And what did we find? A giant box of granny dresses just begging to be turned into bridesmaid dresses!

Back row: Dylan, Scott, Jeanne Ann, Amy, Haley
Front row: Terri, Jonna, Erin

Here we all are celebrating in the office this morning. The "matron of honor" was the bomb and the cake was delicious!

Congratulations Scott & Rita!

National Lampoons Holiday Party . . . Kinda . . .

2010-12-15T12:11:00.012-07:00

Lobby Party!

Bo Bo's daughter Su Su Khant celebrating her 11th birthday and TAD Noah Weary celebrating his 21st!

Most of the tour actor/directors were able to join us, along with board members and home staff members. We ate delicious food, drank amazing drinks, sang carols and had a really fun, cozy time.

We had performances by MCT's Bits and Pieces and TAG! It was so great. I love when we can all get together and just enjoy each other's company.

Go us!

Awesome bloggers Kepler and Amy with their equally awesome spouses.

This is how Tour Marketing rolls. All the time.

All the tour actor/directors who were able to be here last night!

Volunteering is hard work, but it's worth it!

2010-12-10T12:00:00.010-07:00

MCT encourages us to volunteer within our community, and this year I took that to heart. I wanted to do something fun, so I volunteered to help MisCon—the group that runs Missoula's science fiction & fantasy convention.

My love for science fiction began around age five when my dad and I watched the 1951 classic, The Day the Earth Stood Still. At school the following Monday, I eagerly told my friends about Klaatu and Gort . . . and quickly realized that everyone wasn't enthralled over the idea of robots and aliens like I was. Oh well.

1951 poster for The Day the Earth Stood Still / My dad & me

In addition to their annual convention, MisCon hosts game days at the University of Montana. Last Saturday was Fall Game Day and we packed the room full of 60 geeks playing all sorts of tabletop games. Most gamers were from the Missoula area, but many folks traveled from Helena and surrounding cities to participate. As usual, it was a really fun day.

My friends and I play a mean game of Clue.

Volunteering for MisCon has been a rewarding experience. I've made new friends, and conversation among the group is always entertaining. One thing I underestimated was the amount of time I would need to devote to this group in order to fulfill the commitments I made. I now have a much deeper appreciation for the hard work that MCT volunteers put into each show that takes the stage!

So, cheers to all the volunteers out there—keep up the good work!

La Princesa y el Chicharo

2010-12-08T12:41:00.002-07:00

There are always a lot of interesting random things happening here at MCT. As you can imagine, working in a theatre means that there are always sets being constructed, backdrops being painted, people dropping by to be sized for costumes, actors rehearsing for various productions, tour teams being trained or checking in, tours of the building, and commercials being recorded. And that doesn't even include all of the office work, building maintenance, decorating, ticket sales, staff meetings et cetera that happen every day!

In the midst of all of this, we have unique projects that pop up from time to time that allow us to take a break from our daily routines (if you can call any of what we do routine). Last week we had one such special project in the form of a tour show done with the students at Missoula International School (MIS). MIS is a Spanish immersion school here in Missoula, and we have partnered with them for the past several years to put on shows in Spanish.

This year the show was La Princesa y el Chicharo or The Princess and the Pea. MIS staff translated the script into Spanish, helped the kids learn the lines and songs, and played the adult role in the show. We provided the directors to audition the students, cast them in their roles, and direct the blocking. The rehearsals still only lasted a week, just like our regular tour schedule, but the kids had the extra task of learning the whole show in a second language.

I went to their afternoon performance, and while I couldn't understand a word they said (my two years of high school Spanish apparently have not been retained) I absolutely loved the show! The cast members were so engaging, and I was able to understand much of the show just based on the clear emotions being presented by their characters. At the end of the performance there was a lot of much deserved cheering and clapping and the cast was beaming with accomplishment. It was refreshing to watch, and fun to see a familiar story played out in a different language.

Keep your toes to the audience!

Holiday Spirit

2010-11-29T16:48:00.003-07:00

Mondays. I am not particularly fond of Mondays. I am even less fond of them when they follow a five-day holiday weekend. However it is difficult to remain grumpy with the amount of festiveness happening at MCT this week.

First of all, everything outside is covered in white fluffy snow. This past week we have had over a foot of snow fall and now Missoula is a winter wonderland. Second, our holiday decorations are going up this week around the building. And to top it all off we are getting ready for our opening of Irving Berlin's White Christmas this weekend.

But all of those things combined can't brighten my mood as much as this next thing. Today I gave a tour of the building to a class of fifth-graders from Frenchtown Elementary School. I've led several tours of the building over the years, and it is always so refreshing and fun to introduce kids to the magic of theatre! It's very easy to get into a routine at any job (yes, even at a theatre!) and start to take for granted all of the things that make the job great, and nothing gets me more excited about my job than seeing a bunch of wide eyed kids blinking and pointing in complete awe of their surroundings.

It is a very busy time at MCT right now, and the kids were able to see the set being built, lights being hung, costumes being made, and props being sorted. They also toured backstage, through the balcony, and even into the basement where we store all of our costumes, sets, and props. The tour was filled with "oohs" and "aahhhs" and lots of questions, but in the end I was reminded that sometimes even the simplest of things can bring the most joy. While standing in the balcony watching some lights get adjusted, one of the kids said, "Whoa, that's the biggest ladder I've ever seen!" He then looked at me and asked, "Have you ever climbed that ladder?" "Yes," I replied hesitantly, not sure where he was going with this. "That is so cool," he beamed.

So, as you go about your week, I highly encourage you to take a look at your surroundings through the eyes of a fifth-grader. You might just find a little bit of magic that you didn't realize was there. Also, if you are in Missoula and would like a tour of the theatre, we would love to show you around. You can either call our office at (406) 721-1911 to set up a tour, or email Terri Elander.

Keep your toes to the audience!

What We're Thankful For!

2010-11-24T13:51:00.005-07:00

Alright y'all. Although quite a few staff members have already left for the rest of this holiday week, there were still a few peeps on hand to chat with today. I went around to all the offices and asked everyone what they were thankful for this Thanksgiving season. Here's the beautiful/funny/truthful/optimistic (Don Kukla, I'm lookin' at you) answers that I received:

Terri Elander: Davis and Margaret, my new grandtwins and future MCT stars!

Haley Chapin: My family, my niece Ruby, and my health.

Scott Reilly: Friends, family, and Bellybean!

Chelle Robinson: Friends and family, especially my new little niece. Also thankful for two working sinuses!

Haley, Scott and Chels representing Tour Marketing. They even coordinated outfits. On purpose, I'm sure...

John Torma: MCT's been able to keep it's programs going and we all still have jobs. The kids still get to be on stage!

Don Kukla: The Detroit Lions win on Thanksgiving morning...

Yards: Snowplows!

Diana Wood: Our beautiful new reception suite.

Michael McGill: The health of those around me. And Marissa. (I have witnesses. He said it. Even if he was joking, it's going on here.)

John Sporman: Michelle makes coffee every morning.

Marissa (Me!) Badzioch: Good moods, smiling, and love! Also, my sweet new office...

I told you it was sweet. It get's even cooler when I'm sitting here. Believe it.

Michelle Nigh-Mogstad: Not much I'm not thankful for!

Greg Boris: Happy, healthy family.
Maeve H. Ball: Zoe sleeps through the night now! And she's happy and healthy.
Susan Marquand: Having a job and everyone in my family is healthy.
Carol: My health!

Kara Chandler: Not having to drive the roads!

Lesley Washburn: Volunteers and an assistant who is sacrificing holiday plans to stay and help!

Lesley! Sewing away.

Megan Wiltshire: Friends taking me in when I have nowhere to go.

Courtney Neuschwander: Hand knits, cold weather, and family!

Tracy Beaver: So far surviving this Montana adventure and being able to work here and do something I feel good about. And a tolerant boss!

Theresa Jenson: (Could not be reached for comment. But Sporman assures me her answer would have been "John Sporman").

Jan Bailey: New daughter! (That's referering to me as well...)

Paul Bailey (Jan's hubby): My wonderful wife.

Matt Crawford: Family, friends, and MCT.

Wanda Burnett: My family.

Terry Lawrence: Family, friends, and my cardiologist.

I'm so proud to work here. I love you guys and I am so thankful for all of you!

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

Giving Thanks

2010-11-22T16:56:00.002-07:00

This week is Thanksgiving. If I were to be completely honest with you, I would have tell you that in the past Thanksgiving hasn't been very high on my list of favorite holidays. Don't get me wrong, I don't have anything against Thanksgiving, it just doesn't pack as much of a holiday punch for me as some of the other holidays. I've always thought of Thanksgiving as a sort of pre-show to Christmas. A four-day weekend put there to let you know that you only have about a month till the "big holiday" arrives.

Well this year is different. For the first time, my wife Erin and I are hosting Thanksgiving dinner at our house! We have been going crazy trying to make sure that we have everything we need, and that all of the preparations have been made. Nobody likes last-minute shopping, and we really wanted to avoid it this week since a winter storm has rolled in and the temperature is supposed to get down below zero.

In the midst of the planning and house cleaning, I realized that I am really excited for Thanksgiving! And not just because it means that Christmas is getting closer. I am eager to share a meal with family and friends, to drink hot drinks while the storm rages outside, and to stay up late playing games, laughing, and telling stories. I am so thankful to have loved ones share this holiday with us!

Here at MCT we are all very thankful to be able to work for a company that we believe in so much. We are thankful that we are able to continue doing the jobs that we love, even though the economy is rough and there are theatres around the country that have had to close, and schools that have had to cut arts budgets almost completely. But most of all, we are thankful for you, the people who have allowed us to be a part of their lives. Whether it is through the community theatre, or the tour, Next Step Prep, or any other ways people have chosen to show their support, we couldn't do what we do without all of your love and support!

Thank you!

Keep your toes to the audience!

Not quite the traditional Thanksgiving meal, but the best I could come up with on short notice with items from prop storage!

MCT Auditions/Hiring Conferences 2011

2010-11-19T11:38:00.009-07:00

I’m often asked how we find our huge contingent of Tour Actors (94-98 actors each June). The actors find us in a variety of ways, but audition conferences are where we find the majority of the amazing young people who work for us. Every year MCT sends representatives to all of the major conferences in the country. This year’s line-up is:

UPTA - (United Professional Theatre Auditions) February 3-8. Memphis, TN
NEXT STEP - (affiliated with ACTF) February 10-12, Los Angeles, CA
STRAW HAT - February 18-21, New York City, NY
MWTA - (Midwest Theatre Auditions) February 17-21, St. Louis, MO
TPS - (Theatre Puget Sound Auditions) February 21-24, Seattle, WA
SETC - (Southeast Theatre Conference) March 1-7, Atlanta, GA
TCUTA - (Twin Cities Unified Theatre Auditions) March 4-7, St. Paul, MN
NETC - (New England Theatre Conference) March 18-22, Natick, MA

These conferences are an opportunity for singers, actors and dancers to audition for a wide variety and number of theatre companies from across the country. Many are in their senior year of college seeking employment after graduation. Others are looking for summer work only. And some are young professionals auditioning for their next gig. Typically, the performer prepares two monologues if they are “acting only” or one monologue and 16 bars of song to showcase the best part of their singing voice. Those who are dancers will attend a separate dance audition at the larger conferences – a few of the smaller conferences do not hold dance auditions. Each conference has a time limit for the actors; it does vary a little but rarely does the theatre company need more than 90 seconds to determine if the performer is someone they feel might be a good fit for whatever they are looking for (although the actor never feels that time is adequate to show all they can do!). The theatre companies are seated at tables in the ballroom of a hotel or in a theatre auditorium at a university or other venue. The company representatives have been given a thick stack of résumés and headshots or special audition sheets organized in the order the actors will appear. The auditors will write down the ID number of every actor they are interested in, and those lists are gathered periodically to be posted in the call back room. The actors then have the opportunity to look at the call boards and note which companies are interested in them. “Call backs” are usually scheduled in the evening; actors make the rounds of the companies that have indicated interest. Many theatres use the call backs as an opportunity to further assess the actor by having him or her read specific scenes or sing a particular song.

Unless we call someone back who didn’t sing in his/her audition, MCT does not typically ask the actor to perform in our call backs. For the most part, our sessions are really interviews where the actor learns about the company and we learn about them. They can last an hour or more. Skills are important, but we have evaluated that element in the audition. Because we work with children, and the physical/mental demands are so great on our actors, temperament and personality are critical componants of this interview process. After each session, the MCT Representatives present at the interviews discuss each of the applicants and assign a number which is computed after considering both aspects of the candidate’s conference application: talent and interview. Sounds a little like Miss America, doesn't it? The ratings at this point are deemed BR or Before References.

Once the completed applications are back in Missoula – they are immediately sent to Human Resources. The above mentioned ratings system ranges from 1 to 5 (complete with pluses and minuses). The higher the number, the more suited the candidate is to us. . .based on talent and interview. The next highly important component is references. We make every effort to talk to at least two of three references for every candidate. What is important to MCT is that the reference understands as much as possible what it is that MCT does and what we look for in a tour actor/director. Then we ask him or her to speak to the applicant’s suitability to MCT. If references are great, we conduct a background check on that applicant. If that is satisfactory, a job offer is made.

We also conduct auditions locally and take applications by mail. The latter takes a little more effort on both sides, but we have hired a lot of terrific TADs by this method. The interested actor is asked to send in a cover letter, completed application and a talent video (DVD or YouTube). If those items are satisfactory, we will conduct an phone interview. The rest of the process is the same as explained above.

We accept applications at any time, even if there is not a current opening . . . because with the number of actors on the road, anything can happen (and probably has!). Our regular periods of employment begin in June (or late May) for both 12 month and summer-only positions, and in January (or late December) for 5 month contracts. But we are occasionally in need of mid-season replacements.

As of this writing, there are 2 spots left for 5 month contracts to begin on December 27, 2010 (in Missoula for training) and ending around the third week of May in 2011. If you are interested in auditioning, know someone who would like to work for us, or have additional questions, please don’t hesitate to contact me at or visit our website

The "Secret" to Creating a Tour Show

2010-11-17T13:30:00.002-07:00

This past week I was working on The Secret Garden, our newest tour show that will hit the road next summer. It occurred to me that while many of you have probably seen or been a part of a tour show at some point, most of you probably don't know what goes into creating a new show before it is sent out on the road.

It all begins with picking a title. All of our shows are original portrayals of classic fairy tales or folk lore stories. They are all hour long musicals, and lines, blocking and music are all written by MCT staff. After the writer for the show has picked which story they want to tell, they begin writing a rough draft of the script that will be used for the show.

There is a lot that goes into writing a MCT tour show. Tour shows need to be able to accommodate 50-60 cast members, and be flexible enough to work with a cast of kindergarten through 5th graders as well as with a cast of kindergarten through high-schoolers. Our executive director, Michael McGill, wrote The Secret Garden and said that when writing a new tour show it's easy to get caught up in the different characters he is developing and take them on creative tangents. The hardest part of the writing process, he said, is when he has to go back through the script and pare down some of the scenes and make sure that it all ties in to the central message he is trying to convey in the story.

Once there is a rough draft of the story, our head costumer, Linda Muth, starts sketching some designs for the costumes, and some semblance of a set starts to get put together. This usually isn't the final set, as adjustments will need to be made once the blocking has been added, and rewrites have happened. For The Secret Garden, we used some walls from other shows as well as some curtains made by our technical assistant Lesley Washburn. When the show finally goes out on the road it will have a brand new set made by Lesley. The new set was designed by Scott Reilly who works in our tour marketing department and has been seen for the past couple of weeks on our community theatre stage in The Producers.

To test out a new show, we start by running it as a day camp here in Missoula at our theatre. This is a 5-6 week process, open to Missoula youth, in which we work out the blocking for the show and workshop the characters and scenes. Then the script goes back to the writer to make adjustments, and the costume shop and technical staff have some time to re-work any costumes or props that didn't quite work right in the show.

Finally, the show is tested at a local school in or around Missoula using the one week teaching format that our tour teams use on the road. This is the phase that we were on with The Secret Garden last week. Now Michael will have one more chance to look at the script and make any minor adjustments that are needed before the show hits the road next summer.

This process has been used to refine shows for years, and we now have 23 shows in our repertoire, including The Secret Garden. There is currently another show, The Emperor's New Clothes, that is being prepared for its one week test next year, and one show, Blackbeard the Pirate, in the writing phase.

We had a wonderful time working with The Secret Garden cast last week, and are very excited to see the show out on the road in the summer of 2011!

-Keep your toes to the audience!

Assembling set pieces for The Secret Garden

White Christmas Tickets on Sale!

2010-11-15T15:02:00.000-07:00

Tickets are on sale now! Irving Berlin's White Christmas runs December 3–12. Box office hours are Monday through Friday from 9–5 and they are also open one hour prior to each performance. You can even purchase tickets online!

Matt Crawford, patron services associate extraordinnaire!

I have been answering phones this morning and they have not stopped ringing. People are so excited to see this show, so get your tickets as soon as you can! This show is going to be great!

Hard at work! What a way to start the week.

A New Season of MCT VIP Nights!

2010-11-01T15:25:00.025-06:00

A Christmas Carol—The Musical MCT VIP Night

A few years ago we began holding MCT VIP Nights for each MCT Community Theatre show as a way to thank donors giving $500 or more per year to the MCT Annual Fund. Our development director, Cate Sundeen, explains more about the program:

MCT VIP Nights have grown from a small group of 76 gathering in a small room to 180 members gathering for a private reception in the lobby and the show on its own private night before it opens to the public. In addition to the reception and show, MCT VIPs receive a behind-the-scenes look at each production.

We are so lucky in Missoula to have such a generous community of individuals and business owners. MCT VIP Nights couldn’t happen without our awesome caterers who donate their time, creativity, and delicious food, themed for each show. For The Producers VIP Night on November 4, Bravo Catering has come up with a fabulous menu of New York City delicatessen-style appetizers and desserts. The menu looks wonderful! Silver Slipper Lounge and Casino will provide a full bar, we’ll have delicious wine from Mission Mountain Winery and beer from Big Sky Brewing.

There are still a few seats available if you would like to become an MCT VIP. Sign up before The Producers on November 4 to enjoy all 5 MCT VIP Nights. You don’t want to miss the fun!

Photos of A Christmas Carol—The Musical MCT VIP Night in 2009 courtesy of Maureen Roy Photography.

Happy Halloweeny!

2010-10-29T14:56:00.002-06:00

Scariest Reception desk. Ever.

It's Friday! And not only that, it's the Friday before Halloween! Which means...potluck! I'm glad I get to take the time to sit here and write this post because I ate waaaayyyy too much hot dish, cake and meatballs. Oof. I'm sick-full.

But enough about me and my foods!

We had some delicious foods and on top that, we also had a pumpkin carving contest! First place went to none other then our dear friend, you know him, you love him, Kepler Correia! He made a pretty awesome TNMT (Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles for all you lamens out there) pumpkin. We had some pretty amazing entries. I did not carve a pumpkin because I HATE cleaning them out. Gross.

I hope you all have an awesome holiday on Sunday and we'll see you next week!

Michelangelo. Obviously.

Piano (Wo)Man!

2010-10-27T15:47:00.000-06:00

Alright, that was a terrible title for this post. :) Anyway, it is with great excitement that I get to let you all know that we have found an incredible accompanist for our production of The Producers!

Lizzie Hatfield (formerly Lizzie Webb) has been working in theatre in Montana for the last seven years.

Growing up, she was involved in MCT International Tour shows in her hometown of Cut Bank, but the theatre bug really bit her in 2003 when she was hired as an accompanist for the Fort Peck Summer Theatre. Since then, she has accompanied and/or music directed at almost every theatre in Montana, including The Illustrious Virginia City Players, The Philipsburg Opera House Theatre Company, MCT Community Theatre, The University of Montana School of Theatre and Dance, Bigfork Summer Playhouse, Montana Actor's Theatre, the Montana Actor's Benefit at Grandstreet, the Rocky Mountain Theatre Association Festival, the annual professional's weekend at U of M and MCT's Next Step Prep. Of the 25 or so shows she has accompanied, her favorites have been Urinetown (U of M), Forever Plaid (MCT) and Jesus Christ Superstar (MCT).

When she isn't in the orchestra pit, she sometimes ventures on stage, having been seen as "Carmen" in Sweet Charity (FPST), "Jennyanydots" in Cats (MCT) and "Bloody Mary" in South Pacific (MCT). Her most proud accomplishments include music directing Gypsy (U of M), The Rocky Horror Show (MAT) and the University of Montana's current production of Hair. Another would have to be accompanying for Jason Robert Brown and being personally thanked on his blog! Lizzie will graduate from U of M in the spring of 2011 with a Masters degree in Musical Theatre.

Lizzie is so very talented and we love having her as part of our MCT family! She is also going to be accompanying our production of The Mikado in January!

Hope to see you soon!

Costumes by the Numbers

2010-10-20T15:42:00.004-06:00

Most of you have seen our costumes in some form or another, whether it was during one of our local community theatre shows, or out on the road for one of the tour productions. What you may not realize is that all of the costumes used by the different branches of MCT. are made by the same costume staff! Needless to say, they are very busy folks. After a recent conversation with one of the costume technicians, Maeve Ball, she sent me a list of statistics about the costume shop and now I am even more impressed with what they accomplish! Here's what she sent me:

In May, we turn around (inspect, inventory and repair) about 15,000 costume pieces.

Every year, we build about 2,500 costumes for the tour.

Every year, we build about 1,000 costumes for the community theatre.

For every tour actor/director and community theatre actor, we take (around) 25 different measurements so we can make them a costume that fits properly. It takes an experienced technician about 7 minutes, assuming there is another person recording the data.

There are 6 full-time home staff employees in the costume shop year-round, and up to 5 summer stitchers.

We have a combined 125 years of experience in costuming.

We are working on up to 4 different shows at any time, in addition to repairs and tour notes.

Our 5 new industrial sewing machines can reach a top speed of 2,500 stitches per minute.

One of our costume technicians can stitch a complete pair of pants for the tour in 10 minutes or less.

Every week we have to replace an average of 5 costume pieces because they have been lost or destroyed on the road—that’s 260 a year!

Each costume we make for the tour will be worn by 150-300 different children over the course of its life.

All scraps of fabric too small to be used in a costume are donated to other organizations that use them to make quilts, doll clothes, or other crafts.

We have 300,762 cubic inches of fabric, which is 1302 gallons, in our “scrap bins.” We also have about 350 bolts of fabric on-site, waiting to be made into costumes.

As we approach the end of the month, people are scrambling to find that perfect costume to take trick-or-treating, or to wear to that big costume party at a friend's house, so I would just like to remind everyone that our costume department has costumes for rent! If you are interested in renting a costume, and you live in or around Missoula, please call our rental manager, Kara Chandler at 728-1911. The costume shop is currently very busy making costumes for our first community theatre show of the season, The Producers, and for our newest tour show, The Secret Garden, so it is important that you call in advance so that they know when to expect you. Costume rentals are available all year, just be sure to give Kara a call first.

So, if “the world is a stage,” make sure you are dressed well for your performance!

—Keep your toes to the audience.

40 Years of MCT Memories

2010-10-19T09:45:00.004-06:00

Over the past few years, I’ve heard some incredible stories from people who have participated in MCT productions. These stories range from, “My first role was when I was six. I was a flower and I was so nervous!” to “Last week the funniest thing happened on stage.”

You all experience MCT programs in different ways and, as we enter our 40th anniversary season, we want to hear your favorite MCT memory. It doesn't matter if it happened twenty-plus years ago or just yesterday—we want to hear it all!

So what is your favorite MCT memory? Do you have a jaw-dropper, a “light bulb” moment, or a tear-jerker you want to share with us? Did we positively impact your life or the life of someone else you know? If so, how did that happen and why is that experience so memorable? Please tell us. We can’t wait to read your story!

It's Beginning to Look A Lot Like...

2010-10-18T16:16:00.004-06:00

Our rehearsals for Irving Berlin's White Christmas have begun! Last Friday night, room 303 was filled with people from all walks of life.

Did you know that all MCT Community Theatre performers are volunteers? Did you know that Bing Crosby was the first person to sing "White Christmas?" Did you know that kittens are cuter than puppies? I'm not going to debate that last fact. It's science.

Anyway, these talented Missoulians who give us their free time are in it for the long haul now. Generally for our community theatre productions, there is a six-week rehearsal schedule followed by at least two weeks of performances.

Currently, the cast is learning all of the music for the show. As soon as all melodies, harmonies, and lyrics have been taught, we jump right into blocking the show. Blocking is the process of telling people when they walk from stage left to stage right and pick up that book, etc. It can be a tedious process but it's most definitely necessary!

I'll be sure to keep you posted on how the show is shaping up and we hope to see your smiling faces in the audience!

Empty seats ready for cast members! They would be full but I forgot to take pictures at Friday night's rehearsal...
of course...

Chronicling a Narnian Adventure at MCT!

2010-10-12T12:26:00.012-06:00

Heeeeeey! Michelle here--my first blog post--kinda excited about it! AND it's about something near and dear to my heart...

This week offers a different kind of excitement for about 110 local Missoula kids. It’s the 5th and final week of rehearsals for The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe--MCT’s Afterschool Performing Arts Classes fall production. Our Local Youth Activities department is a special branch of MCT, because it's here that the magic of the MCT International Tour and MCT’s place in the hearts of Missoulians meet.

Every fall and winter, MCT offers a local afterschool acting opportunity. Kids in grades K-12 can register for a Monday/Wednesday or a Tuesday/Thursday class that runs for five weeks. We end up with two casts who perform the same show on different days (The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe performances will be this Saturday and Sunday at 3:00 & 5:00 pm at the MCT Center for the Performing Arts ). It’s sort of an extended version of a tour residency week. Auditions and rehearsals are very similar to the way they are on the road, but there are more teachers involved. Eric Prim and Don Mogstad head up MCT’s Local Youth Activities. Former tour actor/directors Beth Jones, Amy Ellis, Melanie Charlson, and Samantha Cook round out the excellent and very experienced directing crew of the show.

The unique thing about The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe is that it is not currently an MCT tour show, nor is it currently planned to be a future tour show-- so the show does not have to be directable in a week. This allows the directors to experiment and teach more challenging scenework and choreography. Regardless, the show is still totally “MCT style!” If you’ve ever participated in a children's show with us, you know what that means: a really rewarding theatrical experience that’s a whole lot of fun--with life skills that just happen to get taught along the way.

Simon Fickinger is the only adult performing in the show and will be playing the role of "Aslan" the Lion. By day, Simon works as a Mediatior and Psychological/Parenting Consultant for P. Mars Scott Law Offices. He has a lot of experience on the MCT Community Theatre stage (having just played Mr. Darling and a pirate in last year’s Peter Pan), but even that experience doesn’t quite prepare you for the surprises in store when completely surrounded by children onstage. On his first day of rehearsal, Simon spoke his first line, expecting simply to hear the next line. Instead, six year old Kaylor (who plays a spider) jumped up from the audience and cried out in utter authentic amazement, “You sound just like the real lion!” Wow. What a HUGE compliment! Ah yes…absolute wisdom and wonder from the mouths of babes…a concept we’re quite familiar with here!

One of the real joys for the adults involved with MCT Local Youth Activities is seeing the long-term growth in kids as they journey from kindergarten to elementary school and beyond: watching the first audition as a cautious 5-year-old. Noticing the nerves, then the growing confidence at the first performance. Seeing the rise through the ranks of various groups over the years--skunks to flytraps to ducks to bluebirds to villagers to dwarfs to country folk to lords and ladies, to receiving the first script and on to lead roles in the shows, to making the jump on to the MCT Community Theatre stage, then on to college and adulthood. Director Eric Prim has had the privilege of watching this process for the past 18 years: "It's gratifying," say Eric. "Really gratifying to see the kids grow up in the project and become accomplished as adults. And knowing I knew them as little people."

Where will 6-year-old Kaylor will be in 10 or 20 years? Hard to say, but with his auspicious beginning as a precocious spider, his upcoming journey on the MCT stage will likely be similar to thousands of kids who preceded him: very special and very worth watching.

Grooviness! :)

I'm Dreaming of a White Christmas Audition

2010-10-08T16:25:00.000-06:00

Auditions for MCT Community Theatre’s production of Irving Berlin’s WHITE CHRISTMAS are this coming Sunday, October 10, 2010 from 12:30 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. and MCT wants you there! We need MEN! WE need WOMEN! We need DANCERS! We need SINGERS! We need another ACCOMPANIST! We need a RUNNING CREW! We need YOU! Especially you Missoula community members who have always wanted to audition for an MCT show. And you…newbies to the area…here is an excellent way to meet a variety of people and get involved. I guarantee you would have a wonderful time in this production, if you are cast, and a terrific time at the auditions even if there isn’t a part exactly right for you in this show. COME ON DOWN (you know it’s on your bucket list)!

Before every audition we get a lot of inquiries and comments: What are the auditions like? Where are they held? What is the process? Do I have to bring something prepared? I haven’t done anything since high school. I've NEVER been in a play! I’ve never auditioned for anything, honestly I’m terrified, etc. So here’s the scoop…

First and foremost…YOU DO NOT NEED TO PREPARE ANYTHING FOR YOUR AUDITION! Unless you have a burning desire to do so—don’t stress about this. The vast majority of folks do not; I don’t remember the last audition I was in where someone sang a prepared a song or did a monologue.

Ok…so our community theatre auditions are held at MCT, 200 North Adams Street in rooms 303 and 304. Park in the MCT parking lot and enter the building on Main Street. Go up the stairs to the third floor and right in front of you will be an audition table staffed by the lovely Marissa Badzioch and crew and they will write your name on a list and have you fill out an audition form. The form will ask you about your availability during the rehearsal/performance time frame, and to list your experience. It will also ask what other areas of the theatre you might be interested in and if you are willing to take any role.

Once you have completed the form, you will go into the audition room with a number of other people, normally 15-20 (there is safety in numbers, remember!). Each group of auditioners learns a song from the show together, singing it several times as a group. The director will then ask each person to sing a few phrases on their own. Everyone is in the same boat here—even though some folks will know each other from past shows—others will be strangers. We are nice here at MCT…do not fear.

Following the vocal auditions you will be shown into the dance studio next door to learn a basic routine so that the choreographer can assess your movement skills. Each group is likely to run the gambit from trained dancer to one or two people for whom the phrase “jazz square” sounds like a foreign language. Again, don’t sweat it—a variety of skill levels is needed. At some point, depending on a number of things, you may—or may not—be asked to come back that same evening for “call backs.” This is the time when the director has certain people read scenes from the script and perhaps sing together. Not getting a “call back” does NOT necessarily mean you won’t be cast. Before you leave, you will find out where and when the cast list will be posted.

White Christmas is a wonderful show, based on the 1954 movie of the same name. I had the privilege of seeing it at the Pantages Theatre in Hollywood a few years ago and immediately knew this was an “MCT show.” The story and many of the songs will be familiar to you. It’s frothy, fun, nostalgic and sentimental without being schmaltzy. As one of the Broadway reviews said; it is a holiday card come to life!

So…if you have always wanted to audition for an MCT show—this is the one! I know it is happening at the busiest time of the year for everybody, but remember…busy people are the most productive! And you will not necessarily have to be at every rehearsal. You’ll make new friends, you’ll exchange Christmas or Hanukah recipes, you will get gift ideas...you’ll have time during rehearsals to knit those slippers for Uncle Ralph! And it will put you in the spirit of the season.

As we—you and me—theatre people say…BREAK A LEG!

Island Adventures

2010-10-06T16:34:00.000-06:00

We recently had the wonderful opportunity to send our first ever tour team to St. Kitts in the West Indies! I asked Matt Loehrke, one of the tour actor/directors, to write a note about how the week went, and here is what he had to say:

Matt and Shawna in St. Kitts

Hello friends!

Last week my tour partner, Shawna Smith, and I had the great opportunity to bring MCT to St. Kitts for the first time. St. Kitts is the fifth smallest nation in the world. This island nation is located in the West Indies on the eastern part of the Caribbean Sea. We had the pleasure of working with the Ross University Prep School which is part of the Ross University School of Veterinary Medicine.

After 2 days of hectic travel, we were rewarded with the amazing views of the island. St. Kitts is gorgeous, and the weather was tropical! Even in mid-September (which is considered the dreaded Hurricane season of the tropics) it was mid-80’s everyday with a low of 75 every night, however the humidity was fairly oppressive.

We had an atypical MCT week starting our residency on Friday, taking the weekend off, and then picking up again on Monday for a performance on Thursday. While we did have the weekend off from rehearsal we stayed very busy as we were treated to some amazing experiences around the islands of St. Kitts and Nevis (Knee-vis), another island about two miles away, that makes up the country St. Kitts. From snorkeling to shopping, zip line sights and fortress heights, we were very fortunate to have such caring folks from the Prep school to show us around. However we weren’t there to see the island, we were there to put on a show.

The PreK-8th grade school has a population of around 60 students, the perfect size for an MCT play. We brought in the MCT classic Beauty Lou and the Country Beast, and it was a lot of fun to get kids from the tropics to act like cowboys and cowgirls–they loved it too!

Our performances were spectacular! The only performance space on the campus (quite possibly the whole island) is a lecture hall used at the University. We brought everything needed for the performance (sets, costumes, etc...) and took over the space. We had two shows that were attended by about 300 people at each show. The audience was made up of a variety of people including cast families and friends, school staff and faculty, and even local diplomats of the island! The audience loved every second of the show and I think they also got into the country feel of the show and were whoopin' and a hollerin' along with us as well.

Both audience and cast alike experienced the magic of an MCT performance for the first time. It is a joy to see parents beam with pride and cast members come together and say, “We did it.”

With heavy hearts we bid Ross University Prep school farewell and packed our ten bags and began our journey back to Missoula. On Friday we were in Miami, Saturday Missoula, and Sunday we drove to Hermiston, Oregon. And of course on Monday, we started all over again!

The Adventure Continues - Matt Loehrke

Pepsi Refresh Project

2010-10-04T09:46:00.001-06:00

I was out of the office last week in Conroe, TX training a TAD (tour actor/director) on a new show (I'll tell you more about that in another post). Normally when I get back from an off-site training trip it is a little hectic as I try to get caught up on my work that has piled up while I was gone, and this time was no exception. In fact, it was a little more crazy than usual because of some very exciting news that we received.

MCT was accepted to participate in the Pepsi Refresh Project for the month of October!

First off, what is the Pepsi Refresh Project? This year Pepsi decided that instead of advertising during the Super Bowl, they would take the money that they normally spent on those advertisements and use it to fund projects that benefit communities around the country. Each month of 2010 they are giving away 1.3 million dollars. The money is broken down into different categories and MCT is entered in the $250,000 category for October.

So what does MCT have to do to to get the money? Well, that is the neat part about this project. Pepsi wanted the money to be available to ANYBODY that has an idea that would benefit their community, not just big corporations with whole staffs of grant writers. They also wanted the money to go to ideas that the general public would like to see supported, so they developed a voting system. And the voting has already started!

Here's the basics of how it works. Anybody (U.S. residents over the age of 13) can vote. You can vote for MCT once per day for the entire month of October. At the end of the month, if we are in the top 2 for the $250,000 we receive the money. Pretty simple.

Check out our idea page to see our proposal on how we would use the money. In order to win, we will need your help, so please vote and spread the word. This is a project that means a lot to us and would help us out a lot as a company! We will be putting regular updates throughout the month on our tour facebook page and our community theatre facebook page, so check those to see how we are doing.

Keep your toes to the audience, and VOTE NOW!

*Update: MCT's entry was in the top 40 entries in it's category for the entire month of October. Thank you so much to everyone who voted and supported us in our goal to win the $250,000. There were a lot of great entries in our category and some intense competition. Congratulations to the winners!

MCT Community Theatre’s new season is underway!

2010-09-30T16:50:00.002-06:00

We’re all full of excitement as we jump into our new MCT Community Theatre season with these five sensational titles: The Producers; Irving Berlin’s White Christmas; The Mikado; One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest; and East Broadway Rocks!

CEO Jim Caron and Executive Director Michael McGill selected the 2010-2011 season carefully to reflect the diversity and maturity of MCT as well as Missoula’s talent-base and audience. Michael will direct Irving Berlin’s White Christmas, and Jim plans to direct the season finale, East Broadway Rocks! We also have three awesome guest directors this season—Dan Sharkey, The Producers; Curt Olds, The Mikado; and David Mills-Low, One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest. All three are accomplished performers, directors, and, in my opinion, all-around nice guys.

MCT Community Theatre holds a special place in the hearts of many because it provides an opportunity to experience theatre in many different ways—as a performer, a musician, an usher, a set builder, an audience member, and more. Whatever your talent, we can probably use it! So join us as we celebrate MCT’s 40th anniversary this season by auditioning for a show, volunteering, or enjoying each show as a season subscriber. We’ll be sure to welcome you, and you’re sure to make new friends in the process!

Parade Day!

2010-09-28T14:34:00.010-06:00

Hey everybody! This past Saturday, September 25, MCT participated in the University of Montana’s Homecoming Parade. The theme of the parade was “We Are the World,” which fit in perfectly with our 40th Anniversary theme “Around the World in 40 Years!” Our very own CEO, Jim Caron was the grand marshal of the parade and MCT got a pretty prime spot in the parade line-up. :)

Don Mogstad is our youth activities director, and he heads up a program we have here called Teen Arts Group (TAG). For the last month, Don and the talented teens who participate in TAG have been working up a storm creating our parade float. They were able to round up flags from all the countries and military bases that we visit every year. They also made a beautiful paper-mâché globe which rested perfectly on one of our (not so) little red trucks!

At 9:15 a.m., TAG members, tour actor/directors, staff, board members, performers, and volunteers all met at MCT to head out onto the streets for the parade. We had over 50 people show up to participate! The weather was great, the Griz fans were out in full force, and Missoula pride was all around. Thanks to everyone who made this such a wonderful event!

"In The Mood" is a delight

2010-09-27T15:32:00.016-06:00

For the past week, MCT home staff have had the pleasure of listening to the talented cast of In The Mood as they utilized our theatre as their rehearsal space.

After watching part of their dress rehearsal last night, I walked away thinking that I may have grown up in the wrong decade—I enjoyed the show that much.

In The Mood is a 1940s musical revue that kicks off tonight in Butte, Montana. Missoulians can catch the show on Wednesday, September 29 at UM's University Theatre.

The MCT Center for the Performing Arts theatre, lobby, meeting rooms, and dance studio are available for rent year-round.

Meet the Bloggers

2010-09-23T10:34:00.010-06:00

We've had a lot of positive feed back on the blog here at MCT and I am very excited to announce that we are adding some other staff members as contributors! They come from a number of different departments, and will be able to offer a great insiders view to MCT, Inc. as a whole. Here is a write up about each of the bloggers (including myself) so you can get to know us a little better.

Amy Farrington

Amy likes knitting, movies, photography, her husband, dark humor, hot and sour soup, metal, and sugar in almost any form. She’s not a fan of dogs, caramel or stage diving—ouch! She handles publicity for performances in Missoula and volunteers for MisCon, Missoula’s sci-fi and fantasy convention, as well as for a local volunteer fire department. In her next life she’d like to be an archaeologist, librarian, carnival swing ride or a narwhal.

Marissa Badzioch

Marissa first got involved with MCT 20 years ago when she played the Mayor Munchkin in their production of The Wizard of Oz. She has held several positions at MCT: box office assistant, human resources assistant, tour actor/director, camp cook, and receptionist. Currently Marissa is the executive assistant for Executive Director Michael McGill. Marissa really likes people, parties, peas, and peace. She kinda doesn’t like poodles, ponies, pain, and plagiarism.

Victoria Larson

Actor, singer, avid reader, novice quilter, backgammon ace, football fanatic, and cake maker…at work, when she isn’t hiring tour actors, Victoria spends much of her time dispensing chocolate and tissues as the human resources director for the Missoula Children’s Theatre. She doesn’t care very much for extreme heat, bobcats, sweet pickles, rodents or hand brakes on bicycles.

Kepler Correia

After 5 years of touring around the country, and the world, as a TAD (tour actor/director), Kepler has spent the last 2 years as a tour facilitator at MCT. In his free time, Kepler loves juggling, video games, folfing (disc golf), and floating the river. As a child he would get angry in gift shops when the personalized trinkets skipped from "Keith" to "Kevin" and never had "Kepler."

Teen Arts Group

2010-09-14T12:17:00.000-06:00

Our Teen Arts Group (TAG) has started back up for the fall! Here is a note from our TAG director, Don Mogstad:

If you're looking for a place to express your creativity, imagination, energy and love of theatre, and you’re 12-18 years old, then you've found it! Whether you're interested in performing, directing, writing, theatre tech, or just meeting other teens who are, then the Teen Arts Group (TAG) is the group for you!

TAG will meet from September 7 through December 14, 2010 on Tuesday nights from 6:00–7:30 p.m. at the MCT Center for the Performing Arts. There's no charge for TAG membership but, because the meetings are rehearsal-driven, we ask that you make a commitment to the group for the entire season.

It’s basically a great theatrical atmosphere to have fun in.

Don

This year TAG will again have an entry in the University of Montana's Homecoming parade, and their season ends with a performance at our annual staff holiday party. If you are interested in learning more about TAG, you can contact Don at dmogstad@mctinc.org.

-Keep your toes to the audience!

National Arts in Education Week

2010-09-13T10:45:00.000-06:00

On July 26 of this year, the U.S. House of Representatives designated this week as Arts in Education Week. Recognizing the importance of incorporating the arts into the education of America's children, the resolution encourages states, communities and local schools to keep the arts as an active part of their curriculum. This is something that we obviously believe very strongly in here at Missoula Children's Theatre!

We would love to hear how your community or school is celebrating Arts in Education Week, or a creative way that the arts are being incorporated in your curriculum. Let us know in the comments! And if you would like more information about Arts in Education Week, check out the Arts Education Partnership website.

Good Earth Bike Journey

2010-09-07T13:55:00.000-06:00

I hope you all had a relaxing Labor Day Weekend. I actually worked a little bit yesterday, even though MCT was closed. We had a tour team that needed to learn a different show (King Arthur's Quest) for fall tour. Their first week of fall tour is up in Rankin Inlet (up in Canada), so they had to train early so they could start their journey this morning. We wish them safe travels and a wonderful fall tour!


Rankin Inlet in Canada

Today I am excited to tell you about a surprise visit we got here at the theatre last Friday. Tyler Bell and his father Erik stopped in to chat and take a tour of the building. The Bells are over 70 days into a trans-American bike ride. They started in Boston, MA and are biking across the country to Seattle, WA. From Seattle they will be biking down the Pacific Coast to finish their journey in Los Angeles. Tyler and Eric, along with Debbie Black, are using this bike trip as a fundraiser for Children's Hospital Boston and as a chance to develop a soil study curriculum for children. In 2002 Tyler had open heart surgery, and the family is eager to give back to the organization that cared for their son.

Tyler has participated in 2 Missoula Children's Theatre shows in his hometown of Keene, NH. He was in The Princess and the Pea and King Arthur's Quest. So as they planned their route across the country he was excited to get to add Missoula as one of their stopping points. They toured the building and were able to see Keene on our routing board, and even have a chat in the hallway with the author of both of the shows Tyler was in, (Executive Director) Michael McGill.

Eric, Tyler and Michael McGill

It's always fun when we get to meet people in person who have participated in our programs around the world, and Tyler and Eric's excitement and positive outlook on life was contagious! If any of you are ever in our neck of the woods, we would love to meet you and show you around the theatre so please stop by. Also to hear more about Tyler, Eric, and Debbie's cross country trip you can check out their website.


Eric and Tyler outside our building

-Keep your toes to the Audience!-

Fall Performing Arts Classes

2010-09-01T12:19:00.002-06:00

The weather has started to turn here in Missoula, and it is definitely starting to feel like fall outside. It is cold and rainy, the wind is blowing, and some of the trees around town have even started changing colors. School has started, and that means that it is time for our after school Fall Performing Arts Classes!

This year the kids will be working on the show The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. The classes are open to students in kindergarten through twelfth grade. Classes start September 8 and 9, and students can either participate in the Monday/Wednesday class or the Tuesday/Thursday class. There is not a cut off for the number of students that can participate, but students interested in either class need to have their registration in by September 7.

Oh Where Has the Summer Gone?

2010-08-25T16:59:00.000-06:00


Tour trucks lined up in our parking lot

The days are getting shorter, and the stores are filled with "Back to School" supplies. Summer tour has come to an end and we have tour check-in going on here at the theatre. At the end of each tour all of our tour teams make the trek back to Missoula, MT to check in their costumes and sets so that our staff can do repairs and maintenance on them.

Tour staff are usually out on the road for months at a time, traveling from town to town directing shows. Since their schedule is very grueling, they get a couple of weeks off between tours to relax, visit family and friends, and try to get caught up on sleep. This summer we had 47 tour teams on the road. Their check ins have been spread out over the past two weeks and with all those extra people in the building it sometimes feels like our staff size has doubled.
We have received some great reports back this summer, and we have to commend our TADs on another job well done. They pour so much of themselves into this job, and it's because of their hard work and dedication that we are able to impact children and families all over the world!


TADs sorting show tech on our stage

On that note, we would love to hear your stories about how MCT has affected your (or your child's) life! If you have a story that you would like to share, please send it to me at kcorreia@mctinc.org .

Lastly I'll leave you with a story about one of our tour shows that was broadcast to the cast members parents who are stationed in Iraq. Check it out here!

For Good

2010-08-24T16:15:00.001-06:00

"Hello, my name is Patrick Finnegan, and this is my 8th and final year at camp."

This years Performing Arts Camp (PAC) ended as it does every year, with the seniors introducing themselves to the audience and letting us know how long they have been attending camp. After two weeks of intense rehearsals (sometimes spending up to 11 hours in a day working on different parts of the show) this final send off is filled with laughter and tears, knowing looks at shared inside jokes, and flashbacks to moments that have impacted these kids forever.
For this group of seniors (as with the seniors from previous years, who have stood in the same spot saying their farewells) the emotions welling up inside them are built on much more than just the excitement and stress of the past two weeks of camp. Most of them have been coming to PAC for at least the past 5 years, some of them as many as 8 years, which is a big chunk of your life when you are only 18 years old.


Performing Arts Camp Seniors 2010

They come from all over the country year after year to spend 2 weeks up on Flathead Lake working through one of the most intense rehearsal processes they will ever be a part of. But the show itself, while incorporating nearly 200 campers in a large-scale musical production, is almost a side note compared to the life skills they develop from being involved.
Looking at this group of seniors I can personally attest to how much they have grown, not only as actors, but also as people. Six years ago I was a counselor at PAC and had several of them as campers (including Patrick). I also, while touring the country for MCT, had many of these seniors as cast members in shows I was directing. As the years have passed they have gained confidence, a strong work ethic, a sense of pride in a job well done, an appreciation for the things unique individuals can add to a team, and a support network built on friendships that span the world and will last a lifetime.
Watching these kids grow into amazing young adults and talented performers (some of the best singers, actors, and dancers I have seen) makes me feel humbled and blessed to be a part of Missoula Children's Theatre. The closing song for the PAC show starts with the phrase, "It well may be that we will never meet again" and as they finish their time with us here at MCT (unless of course they come back as staff members as many often do) I am excited to see where life will take them and how they will change the world around them "for good."

What I did on my summer vacation

2010-08-19T22:06:00.000-06:00

We are kicking off Missoula Children's Theatre's official blog! Summer is a very busy time of the year for us at MCT, so there is no better time to jump in and give you a peek backstage at what goes on and how we make it happen.
Let's start with the Tour. This summer we had 47 teams on the road touring all over the country and the world. They traveled to about 400 communities and worked with roughly 12,000 kids! This year also marked a first for Missoula Children's Theatre. This summer we had 7 "fly teams" out at the same time traveling to international destinations. That is more than we have ever had out at one time, and was very exciting for the teams chosen to represent the company in far away locales.


My wife Erin and I on a beach in Cuba, while working with kids stationed at Guantanamo Bay.

This week marks the last week of summer tour and our tour teams will be making the trek back to Missoula for the end of tour check-in at the theatre during the coming week. Many of our Tour Actor/Directors (TADs) will be moving on to other things, but some will be returning for fall tour in a couple of weeks.
This summer was also the second year of Next Step Prep, our performing arts high school. They crammed so much stuff into their 6 week program this summer that there is a whole blog devoted to them. Check out what they did this summer here!

Camper luggage piled in our lobby

Every year, we also hold a Performing Arts Camp up on the shores of beautiful Flathead Lake. This year's camp show is titled Monster Musical, and the nearly 200 campers have been working incredibly hard the past two weeks to get the show up to performance quality. All of their hard work will be culminating this weekend as they perform their show six times for excited audiences.

Campers rehearsing on the MCT stage

The summer may be winding down, but that just means it is time to start getting geared up for the fall! We have lots of exiting things coming up this school year (community theater shows, after school programs, tours around the country, etc.) and we hope that you will continue to join us for this behind the scenes look at Missoula Children's Theatre!

Keep your toes to the audience!