Last week the Missoula Children's Theatre was in town preparing Carlyle Elementary School students for a production of The Wizard of Oz. In the span of a week, the touring theatre company held auditions, assigned roles and had the young performers rehearsing for opening night, which was held on Friday, Oct. 28.
The vibrant costumes, changing set and comedic twist to the timeless musical kept the audience engaged and laughing throughout the performance. For the students, this was not only an opportunity to showcase their theatrical talents, but to develop important life skills as well.
Carlyle Elementary School Principal Shelly Sargent underscored some of the unspoken benefits of this experience: working side-by-side with professionals to accomplish a set of goals, public speaking, improving students' self-esteem, just to name a few. These are lifelong skills and traits that can help students to open opportunities, she said. Sargent was also amazed at the efficiency behind the production, which only took four days. For this, she gave credit to touring actors/directors Jessica Rigsby and Mike Bloom from the Missoula Children's Theatre.
The two were in their seventh week of a year-long tour of elementary schools across Canada and the U.S. when they arrived in Carlyle. So far, having to constantly adapt to new situations has been "the ultimate hands-on learning experience," according to Bloom. For Bloom, the difficulty of being away from home for so long has been offset by the gratification that he has received from helping students to explore the their inner abilities. Both Bloom and Rigsby glowed with enthusiasm when describing the power that theatre has for bringing out unforeseen qualities in children. The two also discussed their passion for theatre in general. They seemed to appreciate how in theatre, actors are able to connect with their audience in a much more intimate way than in film.
It is the Missoula Children's Theatre's 10th visit to Carlyle-a tradition that many are hoping will carry on.
