Welcome to the jungle
Kids across the country anxiously await the arrival of the Missoula Children’s Theatre. The traveling troupe will next stop at the Lincoln City Cultural Center with everything needed but the actors for a production of “The Jungle Book.”
Auditions are on Monday, July 21, and rehearsals will run through Friday, July 25. The production put on for the public will take place on Saturday, July 26.
All local students entering grades one through 12 are invited to join the fun. There are roles for up to 64 kids, with rehearsals for some beginning right after auditions end.
The theater's directors arrive with a truck filled with sets, costumes and music, ready to put on a show. It’s a dynamic experience for every community and has been part of Lincoln City summers since 2005.
“This is a fun and educational experience for all of us,” said cultural center Executive Director Niki Price. “It’s always one of our favorite weeks of the year. We encourage everyone to come a little early, with their adults or guardians, to fill out the registration forms before the 10 am start time. The auditions start promptly and things move fast!”
After auditions on Monday, the students will rehearse until Friday. There will be two performances for friends and family at 3 pm and 5:30 pm on Saturday, July 26. All those who audition must be ready to commit to the full week.
Among the roles to be cast are Mowgli, the man-cub; Bagheera, the panther; Akela, the leader of the pack and the entire wolf pack; Shere Khan, the tiger with his side-kick Tabaqui, the jackal; Nag and Nagaina, the cobras; Darzee, the bird; Hathi, the master elephant; Rikki-Tikki-Tavi, the mongoose; Kaa, the rock-python; Buck, a buck and of course the Bander-log. Assistant directors will also be cast to assist with the technical aspects of the production.
All roles will be cast at the end of the first day’s audition. Participants will be assigned their parts and provided with a rehearsal schedule. Volunteer Rita Warton will be serving as this year’s accompanist.
And, just in case that’s not enough drama for all these aspiring actors, the visiting directors will also run extra workshops from 2:45 to 3:30 pm for three days of the residence week. The workshops include topics like stage movement, stage design, improv and makeup. These experiences, like the main theater camp, are free.
The Missoula Children's Theatre, the nation’s largest touring children’s theatre, has been touring extensively for more than 40 years from Montana to Japan, and will visit nearly 1,200 communities this year with up to 44 teams of tour actor/directors.
All of its shows are original adaptations of classic children’s stories and fairytales…a twist on the classic stories that you know and love.
Auditions are set for 10 am on Monday, July 21. Rehearsals will take place from 12:30 to 2:30 pm on Monday and from 10 am to 2:30 pm Tuesday through Friday. The Saturday, July 26, performances of “The Jungle Book,” will take place at 3 and 5:30 pm. General admission tickets are $20 for adults, $18 for seniors and students, $8 for kids aged six to 18, and free for kids aged five and younger.
The Lincoln City Cultural Center is located at 540 NE Hwy. 101. For more information and tickets, go to lincolncity-culturalcenter.org or call 541-994-9994.