Our girls were in their first play last weekend. The Missoula Children's Theatre drives to town each Summer in their little red truck with scripts, directors backdrops and costumes and puts on a theatre camp (or three) in our community. The children are cast on day 1, attend for 4 1/2 hours a day Monday through Friday, and are ready to put on a full-scale musical by Saturday (with 2 performances.) Last week was "Treasure Island."
My girls were both cast as Seagulls, the theatrical equivalent of "Little Kids' Chorus", but they had a grand time. The scripts are so clever, and the way they go about teaching the whole play to the children is truly an art. For instance, on Tuesday, they came home with lyrics to their main song... but just the lyrics. They chanted it over and over that evening, then were given the MUSIC the next day, when they already knew the words. It seems so backwards, but it absolutely worked.
(Hailey, 2nd from left. Hallie, 4th from right.)
The costumes were adorable, as you can see on the child next to Hallie (this was the pose she gave when the director instructed them to make a "goofy face" for their parents' cameras. By this time, she had already removed her gloves and head, much to my chagrin, so I don't have a great photo of her in costume, and alas, I can't post Hailey's close-up yet.)
(Hallie, sitting on the stage.)
The girls had a great time and did a wonderful job for their first performances! Hailey's funniest trait, I'd have to say, was the way she intently stared at the other actors while she and the rest of the seagulls circled the stage... EVERY time, as if she hadn't already seen them performing many times in rehearsals! Hallie's smile and excitement LIT up the stage - making her easy to spot (that and her small stature). By the second performance, she was so "at home" on stage that she was improvising, much to my embarassment... imagine a seagull leaving the flock to go HUG one of the main character's sisters!
After the final performance...
We went to Dairy Queen for a treat... "Anything you want!" Both girls chose the banana splits they've been dreaming about. (Most trips to DQ result in "4 kids twist cones".)
Sam chose a dipped cone, and Tyler went for a Peanut Buster Parfait.
We're looking forward to seeing another show (The Tortoise and the Hare) that some of our friends will be in this week!
Looks and sounds like they had a great time! The costumes were adorable. What a cool thing that theatre company does.
Tyler ordered what I would have ordered...I love Peanut Buster Parfaits. He has good taste :)
Posted by: Carrie | 08/22/2010 at 09:06 PM