16A Polk County Itemizer-Observer • July 1, 2015
Polk County News
LEFT: The cast of
“King Arthur’s
Quest” sing a musi-
cal number during
rehearsal on Thurs-
day. Missoula Chil-
dren’s Theatre led a
five-day camp be-
ginning June 22 to
produce the musical
in Falls City, coordi-
nated through the
school district’s after
school program
FACES.
BELOW: Jonathon
Creekmore, as
Arthur, listens to
one of the many
warnings of the
“damsels in distress”
during Thursday’s
run through of the
production. The cast
and crew put on two
performances on
Friday night to cap
the camp.
PHOTOS BY JOLENE GUZMAN/Itemizer-Observer
Theater camp stages drama in Falls City
Missoula Children’s Theatre camp produces ‘King Arthur’s Quest’ in five days
By Jolene Guzman
The Itemizer-Observer
FA L L S C I T Y — K i n g
Arthur has problems.
In his kingdom, he has a
giant with insomnia, a drag-
on with a toothache and his
castle is haunted by a forget-
ful ghost.
His subjects are looking to
him for answers. Will he save
the day?
Students in Falls City’s
FACES program worked all
last week to give the story a
happy ending, taking part in
a Missoula Children’s The-
atre (MCT) drama camp.
The camp, led by two
MCT drama coaches, staged
the show, “King Arthur’s
Quest” in just five days —
from auditions to perform-
ances.
“It’s been hectic,” said
Hope Johnson, who plays
King Arthur’s wife, Guine-
vere, in the musical, during
Thursdays rehearsal. “A
show can always use more
work, but I think we are
doing pretty good.”
MCT drama teachers
Kiona Reese and Nicole
Baker work as a team to get
the cast and crew of the
show ready for two perform-
ances on Friday night. They
were impressed with the
progress the students made
in such a short time.
“They are doing really
well,” Reese said.
Baker noted that the cast
was pretty much “off book,”
or working without a script,
in just the second day of re-
hearsals.
“They are ready to be in
front of the audience,” Baker
said. “They really are.”
The musical takes the
classic tale and puts a hu-
morous spin on it — with
“damsels in distress” always
warning of danger and fea-
turing a not-so-magical
Merlin. But, in the end, the
show demonstrates the
power of working together
to solve problems and that
everyone can contribute.
That lesson matches well
with MCT’s mission: “Devel-
opment of life skills in chil-
dren through participation
in the performing arts.”
MCT, based in Missoula,
Mont., has 43 teaching pairs
on the road throughout the
summer in all 50 states and
in 15 countries offering
weeklong drama camps.
Reese and Baker will travel
throughout Oregon and Cal-
ifornia over three months.
“It’s really special to work
with different groups of kids
every single week and see
that you are not only making
a change in their week, in
their day, but potentially in
their lives,” Reese said.
She said using theater to
explore creativity is powerful
and “you can bring that into
other people’s lives and
show them they can create
too.”
Often, as is the case in
Falls City, MCT provides one
of few opportunities stu-
dents have with performing
arts, something Jonathon
Cre e k m o re, w h o p l a y s
Arthur, believes is some-
thing students should be
able to experience.
“I like the ability to change
who you are. You are able to
jump into a new world. It’s
like reading a book, but you
are that book,” he said, de-
scribing what he likes about
acting. “It builds character.
They (students) learn struc-
ture, obedience … and work
ethic.”
Acting isn’t the only op-
portunity the show provides.
Two assistant directors are
part of the crew for “King
Arthur’s Quest”. They help
with lighting and make sure
actors make their cues and
remember lines.
Amber Houghtaling, one
of the assistant directors,
said she occasionally has a
case of stage fright, but likes
working back stage. Watch-
ing the play unfold from be-
hind the scenes is fun, she
said, and something she
may want to do again.
“Maybe, if it (her role) is
the director, backstage,” she
said.
Like, Johnson, Amber be-
lieved the cast would be
ready for Friday’s perform-
ance on the Falls City High
School stage.
Reese and Baker were ex-
cited for the kids to experi-
ence the sense of accom-
plishment during and after
the show.
“Seeing the difference
from Monday to Friday is a
complete 180. It’s so cool to
see kids who maybe haven’t
gotten a big confidence
booster in their life, (have)
that happen on stage,” Baker
said. “They may never do a
play again, but this is some-
thing they can hold onto
and have that confidence in
for the rest of their lives.”
Reese said her favorite
part of performance night is
the brief moment after the
bows when she and Baker
step back and let the stu-
dents absorb the audience’s
praise.
“We get to step away and
let the kids feel that,” she
said. “And the looks on their
faces, it’s really incredible.”
LaCreole MS to hold sixth-grade camp
DALLAS — LaCreole Middle School in Dallas will hold an orien-
tation camp to introduce incoming sixth-graders to the building
and their new routine starting this fall.
The camp will be held Aug. 25 and 26 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at LaCre-
ole, 701 SE LaCreole Drive. Tuition for the camp is $20. Partial
scholarships may be available.
Registration is due by Aug. 14 and forms can be mailed to or
dropped off at LaCreole’s office.
For more information: 503-623-6662.
DALLAS 121 Main St. • 503-623-8155 Mon-Fri 8AM - 6PM • Sat 8AM - 5PM
INDEPENDENCE 1710 Monmouth St. • 503-838-6340