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Quest comes to Mountain Home
They got excited. They got angry. They got scared. In some cases, they strayed from their cues and improvised.
For many of the dozens of children and teens that gathered at Mountain Home High School on Monday, it was their first step into the limelight. It was their chance to shine as they took their first steps into the world of theater.
During the afternoon, representatives from the Missoula Children's Theater listened and watched as these youngsters played the roles of legendary knights, crafty wizards and evil villains. By the end of the day, the theater group selected 60 of these children to join their production of King Arthur's Quest, which takes to the stage here in just three days.
Once every two years, the traveling theater company comes to communities like Mountain Home to produce a play as they introduce youngsters to the world of theater.
"They do just a phenomenal job teaching the basics of theater," said Sally Cruser, executive director of the Mountain Home Arts Council, which hosts the event. "The fact that anyone from kindergarten to high school can perform with the group is just awesome."
The auditions actually started out very simple. Expressing themselves with unbridled excitement in their voices, the children shouted out their names and ages. In many cases, the older teens leapt out onto the floor for added emphasis.
With the initial jitters out of their system, the youngsters were again asked to state their name and age, this time using angry voices. Taking their cue from the theater representatives, many of the children stomped their feet or cocked their head back in disdain with others showing plenty of attitude in their brief introductions. One of the seven-year-olds clenched his fists and stomped his feet as he belted out his name and age as if he were having an argument with one of his parents.
It's these reactions that the theater group seeks when selecting its cast, said Ivory Stahly, one of the representatives conducting Monday's casting call.
"We look at their personalities and the traits they convey" in addition to their vocal range and ability to follow directions, Stahly said.
Those selected to join the team accept a heavy commitment they can't simply relinquish, said theater representative Alisha Fabbi. To put on a play in just five days requires a minimum of four hours of rehearsals each night leading up to Saturday's curtain call.
It's a piece of cake, according to Fabbi.
"It's amazing that all these kids can soak up so much in that one, intense week," she said. "We ask a lot from them, and we're amazed at their raw power. It shows us a glimmer of what their life can be."
In addition, the world of theater often brings out untapped talents in children that even their parents didn't see, Fabbi said. Shy children can completely change when the curtain rises.
"Their parents are amazed at what their kids can do," she added.
Based in Montana, the Missoula Children's Theater started out in the 1970s as a small-scale traveling group with shows in cities across Montana. Today, the team reaches out to communities in all 50 states with additional tours each year in 17 countries.
"It gives kids life skills through the performing arts and teaches them discipline and self respect while introducing them to the world of theater," Fabbi said.
Each child had their own reasons for auditioning.
"I've always wanted to be in a play because I think it's fun. I think it's interesting," said Rebecca Craig. While she had never been on a theater stage, the nine-year-old did have nearly two years of dance lessons.
Meanwhile, Linea Dazell was one of several students with some stage experience.
"I really like to act and one day I hope to get into movies," said Dazell, who recently performed in the junior high school's production of Ducktails and Bobbysox. "It teaches me how to deal with stage fright. It also helps you memorize things quickly, which actually comes in handy during tests at school."
Jordan Cox was a veteran of the children's theatrics group. Two years ago, the eighth grader earned a role in the group's production of Pinocchio.
"I really like acting because it's a lot of fun," Cox said. "We had to learn our parts really fast, but it wasn't really that difficult. They worked with us and somehow managed to cram all those lines in our heads."
Others stage veterans like Joey Vogl found other benefits associated with acting.
"It's fun to be able to express yourself and become a completely different person, especially someone that has a completely different personality than your own," said Vogl, who performed in the junior high school's adaptation of The Music Man.
The seventh grader had no reservations on the part he was pursuing.
"Someone said that I look like King Arthur," Vogl said.