Missoula Children's Theatre Comes to Edmonds

Edmonds youth are currently hard at work rehearsing for this weekend's performances of "The Secret Garden."

The Missoula Children's Theatre, which travels to various cities to put on productions, is organizing and directing the play. The theater group cast 45 local kids for a musical version of "The Secret Garden." The children rehearse all week and then perform twice on the weekend.

Parents, friends, and community members can catch "The Secret Garden" on Friday at 7 p.m. or Saturday at 2 p.m. at The Driftwood Players' Wade James Theatre, located at 950 Main Street in Edmonds. Tickets are $10 and are available by calling the box office at 425-774-9600.

The Missoula Children's Theatre's mission is to teach children and teens life skills by introducing them to the arts. The theater tries to reach a broad range of youth, regardless of economic background or natural acting talent. Each production utilizes about 50 young people ranging in age from kindergarten to 12th grade.

Full disclosure: I'm a personal fan of Missoula Children's Theatre. As a kid growing up in Shoreline, I joined their productions of "Jack and the Beanstalk" and "Sleeping Beauty." I still remember the thrill of performing in front of an audience, and the fun and excitement of makeup, costumes, reherasals, and everything else that came with putting on a production.

Earlier this summer, my six-year-old nephew, Mateo, performed as a bat in a Missoula Children's Theatre production of "Snow White." It was perhaps the highlight of his entire year, and he and his four-year-old sister are still quoting lines from the play.

For more on Missoula Children's Theatre and their traveling productions, read the Q&A on their web site.