Missoula Children's Theatre

Every year we have had the Missoula Children's Theatre (MCT) come to our town. My kids have never really been interested in it until last year. Last year Wyatt, Bethany, Mariah and Jacob all tried out. Wyatt was the only one who made the cut and ended up being Grouchy in Snow White and the 7 Dwarfs. So fast forward to this year. The kids come home with the announcements for the try outs and I am thinking "Really?? Do I really want to do this again?!" But, I decided that we could at least try out and see what happens.
I guess I should explain what the MCT is and does. They are a traveling group that comes to our town and brings everything that you would need to put on the play.....but the actors. They bring all the props, the script and the directors. One of the 2 directors is also one of the major roles in the play. They hold tryouts on a Monday afternoon and pick their actors. Rehearsals start that evening for some of the characters. They hold rehearsals every night and by Saturday they have their one and only performance. So a week of hectic is in store if a child makes the play. But they do a wonderful job at what they do. I am amazed at the outcome considering how much time they have to work with. Last year we were able to help them take down the set and seriously everything fits into the back of a Ford pick-up truck!

So tryouts. I asked and the kids all wanted to try out. So I said what the heck go for it! So I went to pick them up and I was a little early. As I found out last year, if you are early then you get to see some of the auditions and then are there when they announce the parts. So I am standing there with Henry praying for my kids. I am praying that more than anything, they are disappointed when they aren't picked. Each of my children were sitting in a different section of the gym, and after a moment of searching I knew where they all were. Then comes the moment of truth......drum roll please......Mariah made it as a towns kid.....Then Jacob is announced as a rat.....Wyatt is called up as a cook!!!!! Seriously!! 3 kids in the play. I was happy for them but at the same time I knew I would have one little girl with hurt feelings and I needed to tend to her first. I am grateful that I put her first at that moment as she was devestated that she didn't make it. But I think by comforting her first I made her feel like it was okay.

I looked at the schedule and we lucked out....no rehearsal that night! So I had a moment to regroup and figure out how to do this. The schedule was do-able thanks to a good friend "M".  One of her girls made the play and was a cook with Wyatt and both kids are at the same school. So we traded rides. She would pick up Wyatt and her daughter and take them, I would pick the kids up and bring them home.

We made it through the week of practices and then comes the play. I think I was more nervous than the kids. They did awesome! So here are my three little actors:

I included this pictures as this was Wyatt's favorite part. He was so excited when he found out that he would be the one that would put a pie in the director's face!

We look forward to next year when I will have 5 tryout for their next play!! That could get interesting.

I do have to admit that I am pretty proud of my kids this last week. First I am proud of Bethany. After that initial shock of not making it and her 3 siblings did, she didn't make a big fuss over it. She wasn't sad when they had to go to play practice and she didn't....and if she was she didn't show it. Then on Saturday right before the performance, she said a blessing on the food. As part of her prayer she prayed for her siblings in the play that they would have a great production. I admire for that.

I am also proud of the three who made it. They didn't gloat or rub it in that Bethany didn't. They just went on their way and were troopers for how much work they had to do at the practices. They even tried to include her and asked her to help them learn some of their lines. Way to go family!