The Times - Serving Waitsburg, Dayton and the Touchet Valley

DAYTON – The Missoula Children's Theatre (MCT), the nation's largest touring children's theatre, has once again partnering with the Liberty Theater to bring a week-long summer camp to our community, and a fabulous play to the Liberty stage. MCT has been touring for more than 40 years, sending team members to nearly 1,200 communities from Montana to Japan. These teams arrive in towns with a set, lights, costumes, props and make-up; just about everything they need to put on a play. The one thing they are missing is the one thing we can provide...the cast.

This year's team arrived Sunday night in their little red truck. They auditioned and cast approximately 50 students to perform in MCT's very own original musical adaptation of the classic Beauty and the Beast fairy tale, Beauty Lou and the Country Beast. This year's participants will spend the week learning to explore their creative side, and develop social and communication skills. By Friday, they will have built their self-esteem through this unique, educational project, and will be ready to share their show with the public.

Performances of Beauty Lou and the Country Beast will be at 7 p.m. on Friday and Sat., Aug. 18 and Aug. 19 at the Liberty Theater. Tickets are $5-$8, and can be purchased at the theater from 10 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Mon. – Fri., and online at http://www.libertytheater.org.

Thanks to grants from the Inland Northwest Community Foundation Columbia County Children's Fund, Blue Mountain Community Foundation, Columbia County Fund and the Warren Family Fund, there is no cost to the students participating in the residency.

CAST OF CHARACTERS:

Younger Beauty Lou - Quincy Boggs

Older Beauty Lou - Kate Kuykendall

Slim - Daniel Foley,

Dusty - Reuben Yutzy

Fleabite Clyde - Bella Zanger

Imaginary Friend - Justin Jaech

Beast - Avery Haag

Younger Daughters - Araya Bailey, Zenobia Burgess, Jillian Butler, Lila Hutchens, Skylar McCann, Lucy Trump,

Older Daughters - Makenna Barron, Brooklyn Butler, Gracie Howard, Sarah Shutters, Rebecca Smith, Grace Trump

Country Folk - Cedric Cox, Jaron Guettinger, Moriah Haag, Denver Hutchens, Miriam Hutchens, Isaac Jaech, Klint Kuykendall, Jordan McCowen, Sydney Meier, Madison Ortuno, Maya Putney, Sarah Shaber, Ben Stillman, Raymond Yutzy, Jack Zanger

Barnyard Critters - Carter Barron, Z'khari Burgess, Alexis Hancock, Kellen Hutchens, Kayla Kuykendall, McKenna McCowen, Alia Mund, Joy Nechodom, Georgia Reser, Elizabeth Shaber, Daniela Souza, Calliope Sweatt, Rosemary Yutzy

Assistant Directors - Cole Ehmer

Buckaroo Bob/Bonnie - MCT Tour Director Jennifer Sinnen

Director - MCT Tour Director Hayley Procacci