Monday, April 20, 2026
71.0°F

Missoula Children's Theater brings classic to impromptu stage

JOEL MARTIN | Hagadone News Network | UPDATED 10 years, 3 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

photo

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

ARTICLES BY JOEL MARTIN

Two dead after collisions near Moses Lake
April 20, 2026 9:41 a.m.

Two dead after collisions near Moses Lake

MOSES LAKE — Two collisions left a driver and passenger dead on Road 3 Northeast near Moses Lake Sunday afternoon, according to Grant County Sheriff’s Office Public Information Officer Kyle Foreman. At about 4:45 p.m., the Washington State Patrol responded to a report of a hit-and-run collision on State Route 17 at the Stratford Road intersection, according to a statement from the WSP. An unidentified male driving a 2003 Toyota Corolla attempted to exit SR 17 at the same time as Savana R. Oliphant, 19, of Moses Lake. Oliphant was transported to Samaritan Hospital with injuries, and the unknown driver fled the scene with Grant County Sheriff’s deputies in pursuit.

BBCC Job & Career Fair returns Thursday
April 20, 2026 3:20 a.m.

BBCC Job & Career Fair returns Thursday

MOSES LAKE — There are jobs out there, and people who are looking for jobs, and the two will come together Thursday at Big Bend Community College in Moses Lake. “We’re incredibly excited to welcome more than 60 exhibitors to campus for the 33rd annual Job & Career Fair,” Alissa Scriven, Career Pathways Coordinator at Big Bend Community College, wrote in an announcement. “Each year, this event continues to grow, and it reflects the strong partnerships we have with local employers and organizations that are committed to strengthening our workforce. It’s a unique opportunity for students and community members to have real conversations with employers and explore what’s possible right here in our region.” The Job Fair is hosted by BBCC, and organized in conjunction with Washington State Employment Security, OIC of Washington, the Department of Services for the Blind, Washington State Department of Social and Health Services/DVR, SkillSource and Job Corps, all agencies that help connect people with jobs. Those entities will have booths, but they’ll be joined by scores of employers from the private sector looking to expand their teams.

Support students and save some green at FFA plant sales
April 17, 2026 1:20 a.m.

Support students and save some green at FFA plant sales

MOSES LAKE — This is the time of year when FFA students get to show the fruits of their labor – literally – at plant sales all over the Columbia Basin. Nearly every high school will offer flower and vegetable starts for sale around the end of April and the beginning of May.