News
MCT to present 'The Wizard of Oz'
Scott Wagar
07/10/2012
It was a busy day at the Holwell Auditorium on Monday morning as two actor-directors from the Missoula Children’s Theater (MCT) held auditions for more than 60 local children who will be presenting the musical adaptation of “The Wizard of Oz” at the Holwell this weekend.
MCT is a professional theatrical company from Missoula, Mont., which provides a week-long theatrical residency to local kids in the area. The company has been touring for more than 30 years and visits close to 1,100 communities each year throughout every state in America, four Canadian provinces and a number of countries overseas.
“Our mission is the development of life skills in children through participation in the performing arts,” stated the MCT’s website. “Creativity, social skills, goal achievement, communication skills and self-esteem are all characteristics which are attained through the participation in this unique and educational project.”
The theatrical group comes to communities with two professional tour actor-directors who bring with them a small red truck complete scenery, costumes, props, make-up and lighting to present a full-scale musical.
What MCT does not bring are the actors who will perform in the musical – the actors are provided within the local area. Making the trip to Bottineau from MCT this week includes two veterans of the Missoula Children’s Theater, Claire Bancroft and Natalie Sullivan, who both preformed as children with the company.
Bancroft was raised in Tucson, Ariz., and is a graduate of Macalester College with a bachelor’s degree in history with a minor in theatre. Bancroft has preformed as Dorothy in “The Wizard of Oz,” Maria in “The Sound of Music,” Puck in “A Midnight Summer’s Dream,” and the Minstrel in “Once Upon a Mattress.” Bancroft’s goal in the theater is to work as an actor and to bring the stage to the community.
Sullivan was Born and raised in Omaha, Neb., and is a graduate of the University of Tulsa with a bachelor of arts in musical theatre. She played Mureen Johnson standby in “Rent,” a witch in the production of “Into the Woods” and performed in a regional production of “A Christmas Carol” in the fall of 2011. In September, Sullivan will be moving to New York City to pursue a career in acting and musical theater. Her long term goal in the theater is working in casting, and being part of creative teams in musicals as a director or in production.
The kids appearing in “The Wizard of Oz” will spend the week practicing and will then give two performances at 3 p.m. and 7 p.m. this Saturday, July 14 in the Holwell Auditorium. No reservations are required.
The Bottineau Council of the Arts and Humanities is the sponsor of the Missoula Children’s Theater and its production of “The Wizard of Oz.”