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Missoula Children's Theater brings classic to impromptu stage

JOEL MARTIN | Hagadone News Network | UPDATED 9 years, 7 months AGO
by JOEL MARTINStaff Writer
Joel Martin has been with the Columbia Basin Herald for more than 25 years in a variety of roles and is the most-tenured employee in the building. Martin is a married father of eight and enjoys spending time with his children and his wife, Christina. He is passionate about the paper’s mission of informing the people of the Columbia Basin because he knows it is important to record the history of the communities the publication serves. | January 12, 2016 5:00 AM

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Chance Carter gives some stage directions to the child actors rehearsing for the Missoula Children’s Theatre production of ‘Sleeping Beauty’ at BBCC.

MOSES LAKE — A crowd of about 60 kids danced and sang their way through two performances of “Sleeping Beauty” on Saturday. The shows were the culmination of a week of rehearsals with two actor/directors from Missoula Children’s Theater.

Chance Carter and Alyssa Cooper of MCT arrived last weekend in Moses Lake. On Monday, they held auditions and, of the crowd that showed up, selected 59 kids for the cast as well as four assistant directors. For the next five days, the kids learned their lines, songs and dances, and by Saturday, they were ready to perform.

Ciara Shuttleworth, director of Columbia Basin Allied Arts, had nothing but good things to say about the entire adventure. CBAA brought the MCT program to town as part of its Green Turtle children’s theater series.

“The Missoula Children’s Theater people were great,” she said. “They have total control over the whole thing. All I have to do is deal with the lobby.”

The next show in the GreenTurtle Series is “Curious George,” which takes the stage March i6.

The cast of “Sleeping Beauty”:

Younger Sleeping Beauty: Sarah Dale

Older Sleeping Beauty: Alice Dale

Scarella: Morgan Tolley

Lady-in-Waiting/Madame Butterfly: Rachel Puhlman

King: Ezra Wright

Queen: Kennedy Kilmer

Spot: Lauren Tolley

Town Crier: Abigail Dale

Fairies: Sophie Butterly, Jeniffer Carlson, Madison Dale, Stella Depew, Sophia Gardner, Makenzie Haring, Ana McCabe, Jori Pierce, Grace Selmann, Mckennah Solders, Lexi Stevens, Jenna Whitaker

Trolls:

Will Anderson, Tyson Fuller, Robbie Mensonides, Kyler Pankey, Cody Stutzman, Palace Attendants: Stella Butterly, Courtlynn Cardwell, Mya Dale, David Delp, Celeste Depew, Miranda Dorman, Julia Heaps, Dakota Jensen, Melody Lake, Brendan McLain, Kylie McLauchlan, Carsen Owens, Sophia Persichini, Mayah Puhlman, Chloe Scontrino, Calista Shelton, Paige Tolley, Jocelyn Vasquez

Caterpillars and Butterflies:

Laurelynn Cardwell, Kallee Castillo, Brooklyn Clark, Hannah Cook, Marybel Corona-Oronia, Caitlin Decubber, Kristen Depew, Sarah Estudillo, Sofia Estudillo, Ethan Jensen, Gaberilla Koalitzber, Adriana Kowalski, Grace Nixon, Jayla Pierce, Matti Stevens, Maddie Turner

Assistant directors: Kaylee Carpenter, Azlynn Dutton, Riley Farman, Dolcemia Gardner

Accompanist: Donna Warner

The Jester: Chance Carter

Director: Alyssa Cooper

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