Children’s theater brings entertainment, life skills

Photo By Joseph Schmitt | Tabitha Bettin and Scott McGee from Missoula Children's Theater stand beside Yokosuka Middle School student actors at their production of Jack and the Beanstalk at Yokosuka Middle School on board Fleet Activities, Yokosuka, July 20. The students prepared for four days and on the fifth day, they acted out the hour long play. Missoula Children's Theater International Tour is a a year round traveling production that teachers school age children life skills like self confidence in more than 1,200 communities in 50 states and 17 countries.  

YOKOSUKA, KANAGAWA, JAPAN

07.20.2013

Story by Joseph Schmitt 

Commander, Fleet Activities Yokosuka

YOKOSUKA, Japan - Missoula Children’s Theater International Tour visited Fleet Activities (FLEACT), Yokosuka and worked with middle school students to put on a production of “Jack and the Beanstalk” at Yokosuka Middle School, July 20. The theater company worked with the students all week to get ready for the show.

“Every year Missoula works with 65,000 children in all 50 states and 17 other countries to put on plays at schools,” said Scott McGee, actor and tour director. “We do this not only to provide entertainment but also to give children skills they can use for the rest of their lives. These are skills like self confidence, public speaking and teamwork.”

The theater group usually arrives at a school on a Monday and works with the students throughout the week to put on a show on Friday or the weekend. The children learn all the lines, songs, dances and stage directions during that short period of time and perform the hour long show at the end.

“It’s amazing what we can do in that week,” said McGee. “This trip was a little shorter, we only had four day to get ready and it’s going really well. Everyone is learning their lines and getting their songs memorized pretty quickly.”

The main character “Jack” was played by Madelynn Bright. One day before the play opened on Saturday, Bright felt nervous but confident of her group’s ability to get everything ready.

“It hasn’t been easy and the hardest part is remembering all the lines,” said Bright. “I think you can tell that we don’t have everything quite right but we’re working hard. I know we’ll be ready by show time. My friends are coming over tonight and we’re going to practice for a few more hours.”

The next day the student actors gathered behind the curtains and prepared to take the stage. The room filled up with parents, friends and community members waiting to see what the children had spent all week preparing. Then, the music started, the curtains drew back, the children acted, sang and danced. When the play ended, the students took a bow to a standing ovation from the crowd.

“I thought it was excellent,” said Patrick Bright, Madelynn’s father. “It was a good show. It’s great to see what they’ve been working on. I think this kind of thing can really boost a kids learning and give them something they’ll remember.”

The play will travel to a few other locations in Asia before the production heads back to the states for the beginning of another school year.

• Date Taken: 07.20.2013
• Date Posted: 08.23.2013 03:43
• Story ID: 112454
• Location: YOKOSUKA, KANAGAWA, JP