FORT BLISS, Texas – The stories we hear and see as children can stay with us as childhood favorites and timeless memories. The Fort Bliss community will have the opportunity to bring those memories back to life during a live performance of the classic children’s tale “Pinocchio,” scheduled for Saturday at 3 p.m. in the East Auditorium of the U.S. Army Sergeants Major Academy, here.
A cast of approximately 50 local children, from first-graders up to 18 years old, have been rehearsing for hours each day this week to bring to life the story of Pinocchio and how a little white lie can turn into a whale of a problem.
“It’s a lot of work in a week – they have to learn lines and know where to go to,” said Gwendolyn Gale, training and program specialist of CYSS. “I am grateful for the opportunity for children to get this experience.”
“Pinocchio” is to be the seventh annual play hosted by the Fort Bliss Child, Youth & School Services and the Missoula Children’s Theater of Missoula, Mont.
The theater group sends actor/directors across the U.S. and 16 different countries to enhance development of life skills in children through participation in the performing arts.
“We go to areas where kids might not have opportunities to do a lot of theater, so we do a lot of Army and Air Force bases to introduce kids to theater and the arts,” said Liz Behnke, actor/director with MCT. “It’s a really great program.”
Admission is $1 per person. Children age two and younger are admitted free.