Celebrating Twenty Years of Missoula Children’s Theatre in Red Bluff

Early spring in Red Bluff is a time when kids can truly feel like kids. All other “mature” commitments are tossed to the winds for around 60 local kids when the Tehama Arts Council brings Missoula Children’s Theatre to town! Auditions on Monday, rehearsals each day, and then two quality performances by Saturday at the State Theatre all make for a very exciting week.

Missoula Children’s Theatre (MCT) is a non-profit organization based in Missoula, MT. Our area is most familiar with MCT’s traveling theater component; directors who travel two-by-two throughout the country, and world, directing local kids in lively theatrical productions.

Heather Smith, owner of Web Made Local, said, “Our children thoroughly enjoyed this wonderful, character-building event.” Her children are looking forward to auditioning again in 2020, which happens to be the 20th anniversary of MCT coming to Red Bluff!

In our family, “when is Missoula coming?” is a common question from about January on. We scramble to do a Google search and scroll through the tour schedule until we find Red Bluff and all the details. This past spring we were especially excited to see that MCT would be performing “Snow White.” Rewind about 30 years and I was performing in MCT’s “Snow White” in Alturas, CA! I’ll never forget the fun hustle and bustle of that week. It was like being cast into a new world of colorful costumes and lovable characters.

It turns out that “Snow White” played an integral role in the formation of Missoula Children’s Theatre. In 1972, Jim Caron and other directors decided to allow kids to try out for the plays scheduled in their towns, rather than transporting kids to the productions. Would kids be interested in auditioning? Would there be any local talent? On the trial run in Miles City, MT they had 450 kids show up to audition for seven roles! There was no problem finding willing and talented youth.

Now MCT is bringing “the arts to all 50 states, five Canadian provinces and 16 countries.” Their mission is to help small communities. According to their website, “Kids are kids, no matter where they grow up. Children in China, children in small towns and children with special needs all have something in common: a desire for opportunities to express themselves, learn and have fun doing it.”

Linda Bullock, house manager of Red Bluff’s State Theatre, marvels that, “Each year just two people can show up in their little red pickup and, within six days, direct and organize around 60 children to produce a quality performance.”

Watching MCT’s tried-and-true process is a marvel. Around 100 kids usually come to the audition.

Within about an hour, the two directors expertly lead the children through audition exercises while graciously choosing their performers. The magic continues when they pull stage scenery and costumes out of their pickup for dozens of kids.

Robert Bird of the Tehama Arts Council was impressed one year after observing a conflict between two girls. One girl was ready to walk out. The directors addressed the entire group, without naming names, and apologies soon followed. Each year the directors impart as much character-building advice as they can; character lessons are even written into the plays’ scripts.

Thank you, Tehama Arts Council for bringing this vibrant activity to our community. A “bird” just told me…drumroll please…in 2020 MCT will be bringing “Johnny Appleseed!”