Missoula Children's Theatre Comes To Glasgow For "The Princess And The Pea"

Fort Peck Fine Arts Council and the Missoula Children's Theatre teamed up this year to put on a production of "The Princess and the Pea" at the Glasgow High School Auditorium on Dec. 16. The show was open to Valley County kids in kindergarten through eighth grade to audition at the beginning of the week and then actors had the whole week to practice after school before the big show.

A total of 51 students received parts in the production, from all ages and grades, led by tour actor/directors Stevee Wittlieb and Dylan Merritt, who are both part of the Missoula Children's Theatre, which is celebrating their 50th year of touring.

The synopsis of the play wasn't your typical "Princess and the Pea" fairy tale. Envision a kingdom of snow where the residents are Winter Wind Workers (played by Megan Hoerster, Fallan Pinder, Kinley Overbey, and Blakely Burleson), Blizzard Bringers (played by Archer Henry, C.J. Sillerud and Carley Egleston), Icicle Sharpeners (played by Isla Gilchrist, Katie Kuhlmann, MacKenzie Bigelbach and Emma Hopstad) and Snow Smoothers (played by Hayven Fox, Lillian Baumgartner and Holly Bell), ruled by the Storm King (played by Aaron Mickelson) and the Snow Queen (played by Leshia Stutheit). Add to that a Prince (played by Caleb Messig) looking for a proper Princess to share the throne.

Now imagine the Princess (played by Amelia Gilchrist) and her friend the Pea (played by Oakleigh Beitz-Trott) living in a kingdom of green rolling hills and running rivers with her subjects, The Flower Gardeners (played by Gwen Torres, Snow Saiz, Jace Lacock and McKay Yoakam), River Runners (played by Ava Budde, Madisyn Murch, Thomas Pearson and John Pearson), Green Shoot Growers (played by Bethany Bras, GeraLynn Wiltfong and Adlee Boos), Tree Barkers (played by Autumn Pearson and Joel Guttenberg) and a Tree Biter (Daylin Wayne). Her parents, King Size (played by Cooper Gibson) and Queen Size (played by Wynne Green), do all they can to keep things running smoothly. Who knows, maybe the dancing Dust Bunnies (played by Kai Trott, Kayson Murch, Ava Radakovich, Craig Compton, Kjelgaarr Markle, Walker Wilcox, Cecil Griebel, Bryant Burner, Benton Knight and Charlotte Miller) can help? Although the two kingdoms think they have nothing in common (except maybe a pesky Jack Frost (played by Brynlie Harris) that freezes anything and everything), the peace-Loving Leprechauns (played by Guinevere Turner, Ella Gilchrist, Arrow Henry and Tenley Knight) prove otherwise. Throw in some Phony Princesses (played by Blakely Burleson, Carley Egleston, McKay Yoakam and Autum Pearson) and you have a real fiasco!

With the help of assistant directors Gabby Haskin and Tessa Stutheit, Glasgow Middle School students and accompanist Luree Green-Chappell as well as the Glasgow Drama Club who assisted with extra hands, eyes and ears with the students, the show came together in just five days.

The Missoula Children's Theatre International Tour has fostered developmental life skills in more than a million kids. Prior to COVID, they they have worked with 65,000 children in more than 1,100 communities in all 50 states and 17 countries each year. The reach is increasing once again. The Missoula Children's Theatre domestic tour is sponsored by Cosmic Crisp, a new apple grown exclusively in Washington State, and the Glasgow tour was sponsored by generous community supporters.