From the Wings
Published 1:30 am Monday, January 26, 2026
After just a week of rehearsals, the 39 Elma Elementary School students who comprised the cast of Beauty Lou and the Country Beast held two performances on Jan. 23 for family, friends and community members.
Fourth-grade teacher Tenniesa Burnett, who took the lead in bringing the Missoula Children’s Theatre (MCT) to Elma, welcomed the audience attending the afternoon performance. After thanking the Grays Harbor Foundation and PTA for providing the financial support, Burnett said, “this is the very first time having Missoula here and we hope to continue it in the future.”
After the performance, Burnett shared that it was great seeing the entire play, as she had seen snippets of scenes during the week and that students had rehearsed their lines during recess.
“It was cute,” she said. “All the students were excited.”
The play had roles and songs tailored to the ages of the performers, with the youngest students cast as the barnyard critters to the older students who had speaking roles. And the play was structured to offer all the students equal stage time, with the final scene bringing the entire cast onstage. The catchy songs included whimsical lyrics such as “A wishbone is the only way to make your wish come true” and “A cowboy’s life is misery.”
Ellis, one of the two MTC actors and directors, said that the week had been really awesome and that for all the students, this was their first time auditioning. Ellis played the role of Buck, while Grace, the other MTC actor and director, oversaw backstage.
Backstage, the assistant directors (Rowen Blowers, Halle Dietz, Alexandra Stanley and Torne Foster) transitioned the set between scenes, assisted with rehearsing lines throughout the week, and kept the kids quiet during the performance.
Missoula Children’s Theatre will be at Oakville School District the week of Feb. 16 and will perform Sleeping Beauty on Feb. 21.
Upcoming Auditions
Matilda – The Driftwood Players
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.
