From the Wings: Celebrating theater in Grays Harbor County
Published 1:30 am Monday, January 12, 2026
On April 13, 2024, the Missoula Children’s Theatre (MCT) held a performance of The Princess and the Pea at Simpson Elementary. Filling many of the roles were Montesano School kindergarteners to high school students. Alisa Dietz, a member of the Elma Elementary Parent Teacher Association (PTA), was in the audience.
“I really enjoyed it and the kids loved it,” Dietz said. “And I thought, ‘Why can’t we do that in Elma? That would be amazing.’”
“Theater is for everyone” is an operating belief of the MCT. Jim Caron and Don Collins cofounded MCT in 1970. In addition to staging productions in its home theater in Missoula, Montana, MCT tours the country and internationally through its Red Truck Tour, staging plays with local kids filling the roles. The residences are intense: auditions are held at the beginning of the week and at the week’s end, the play is performed. The Red Truck Tour team consists of two adults who are professional actors or directors.
The week of Jan. 19-23 is Elma Elementary’s turn to host the Red Truck Tour for a performance of Beauty Lou and the Country Beast. The play is a country-western inspired version of Beauty and the Beast, and nearly 60 Elma Elementary students will be on stage or behind the scenes. Auditions are scheduled for Jan. 19 from 2:45 to 4:45 p.m. and there are still spots available, said Dietz.
The play will be performed on Jan. 23, at 3:45 p.m. and 6:15 p.m. showings in the gym. There is no cost to attend but donations are welcome. Doors open 20 minutes prior to showing, and snacks are available for purchase.
Tenniesa Burnett, a fourth-grade teacher, took the lead bringing the Missoula Children’s Theatre to Elma, which was made possible through funding from the Gladys Phillips Cultural Tours Fund administered by the Grays Harbor Community Foundation (GHCF). The PTA is paying for the performers’ lodging. Annually, GHCF awards around $60,000 for Grays Harbor schools to bring the Red Truck Tour to their community.
“A few years ago, we started to notice that several local elementary schools were requesting funds to bring the Missoula Children’s Theatre to their schools,” Jessica Hoover, senior program officer with the GHCF, shared via email. “We wanted to develop a way to ensure all schools received the opportunity without having to utilize their grant opportunity throughout the year. We developed a partnership with Missoula Children’s Theatre to do outreach to all of our schools and encourage them to sign up for a show and the Foundation would take care of the cost.”
An Aberdeen-native and lawyer whose career spanned six decades, Gladys Phillips was not only a state representative, but she helped establish both the Bishop Foundation and GHCF, and build the Aberdeen YMCA.
“Gladys was passionate about Grays Harbor kids getting to have cultural experiences coming from a rural community and we believe her generosity and foresight has left a lasting legacy for Grays Harbor kids,” Hoover wrote.
And providing opportunities for the younger kids who are interested in art was a reason Dietz wanted to bring MCT to the elementary school.
“[For] kids who might not have interest in sporting events, this would give them an opportunity to show their strengths,” she said, adding that staff are also excited by the opportunity. “It’s just really cool to see everybody jump in and get excited about it.”
Upcoming Auditions
Matilda – The Driftwood Players
Auditions for the child roles (16 years of age and younger) will be on Jan. 25 at 2 p.m.
Adult auditions are scheduled for Feb. 16 and 17 at 7 p.m.
Production dates will be the first four weekends in May.
For more information, email Brad Duffy at bwduffy@icloud.com
Harvey – Stage West Community Theatre
Auditions will be held Feb. 28 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Auditions are for six men and six women. Rehearsals will run March 9 through May 6. The script can be requested from Lori Hardin at stagewesttheatre@yahoo.com.
Upcoming Performances
January
Beauty Lou and the Country Beast – Missoula Children’s Theatre
1235 Monte-Elma Rd., Elma
Jan. 23, two showings are scheduled and times are TBD
https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100064745884410
February
Kong’s Night Out – The Driftwood Players
120 East 3rd Street, Aberdeen
Do you ever watch an action movie and wonder what all the regular folks are doing while their city is being destroyed by big scary monsters? Well, this is the story of what happened in the hotel room NEXT to the hotel room where Ann (played in the 1933 King Kong by Fay Wray) was whisked out of the bed and into the Manhattan night by the ape himself. There’s always a backstory… and oh is it a funny one!
Feb. 7, 13-14, 20-21, 27-28, at 7:30 p.m. Feb. 22 and Mar. 1 at 2 p.m.
https://main.aberdeendriftwood.com/
Exit Laughing – Stage West Community Theatre
Ocean Shores Lions Club 832 Ocean Shores Blvd NW, Ocean Shores
When the biggest highlight in your life for the past 30 years has been your weekly bridge night out with the “girls,” what do you do when one of your foursome inconveniently dies? You “borrow” the ashes from the funeral home for one last card game, and the wildest, most exciting night of your lives involves a police raid, a stripper and a whole new way of looking at all the fun you can have when you’re truly living. Adult comedy.
Feb. 13, 14, 15, 20, 21, and 22
https://www.stagewestcommunitytheatre.org/
March
The Shootout Saloon – Stage West Community Theatre
Oyhut Bay Seaside Resort, Ocean Shores
An interactive murder mystery.
March 6-7
https://www.stagewestcommunitytheatre.org/
Hello Dolly! – Grays Harbor College
1620 Edward P. Smith Dr, Aberdeen
Hello, Dolly! is an ebullient Golden Age Broadway classic and irresistible story of the joy of living that appeals to audiences of all ages. This musical adaptation of Thornton Wilder’s hit play, The Matchmaker bursts with humor, romance and energetic dance.
March 6-7, 13-14 at 7:30, March 8, 15 at 2 p.m.
https://www.ghc.edu/bishop/calendar/winter-musical-hello-dolly
May
Matilda – The Driftwood Players
120 East 3rd Street, Aberdeen
Based on the children’s book by Roald Dahl, Matilda is an inspirational musical tale of an extraordinary girl who discovers her superpower and summons the remarkable courage, against all odds, to help others change their stories, whilst also taking charge of her own destiny. Standing up for what’s right, she’s met with miraculous results.
May 1-2, 8-9, 15-16, 22-23 at 7:30 p.m., May 3, 10, 17, 24 at 2 p.m.
https://main.aberdeendriftwood.com/
Once Upon a Mattress – Aberdeen High School
410 N G St, Aberdeen
Once Upon a Mattress is a lively comedic musical that has been performed by stars including Sarah Jessica Parker and Sutton Foster, and it is the musical that launched Carol Burnette’s career.
May 1, 8-9 at 7:00, May 3, 10 at 3 p.m.
Harvey – Stage West Community Theatre
Ocean Shores Lions Club 832 Ocean Shores Blvd NW, Ocean Shores
May 8-17
https://www.stagewestcommunitytheatre.org/
June
What the Constitution Means to Me – The Driftwood Players
120 East 3rd Street, Aberdeen
What the Constitution Means to Me is a playful and incisive analysis of the U.S. Constitution that examines how this living document could evolve to fit modern day America. The piece is based on the experiences of fifteen-year-old Heidi Schreck, who put herself through college by giving speeches about the U.S. Constitution. Now, she resurrects her teenage self to trace the document’s profound impact on four generations of women.
June 26-27, July 3-4 at 7:30, June 28 and July 4 at 2 p.m.
https://main.aberdeendriftwood.com/
July
Gruesome Playground Injuries – Stage West Community Theatre
Ocean Shores Lions Club 832 Ocean Shores Blvd NW, Ocean Shores
July 31-Aug. 1
https://www.stagewestcommunitytheatre.org/
