Questions and answers on upcoming Missoula Children's Theatre

Auditions for “The Snow Queen,” brought to our community by MCT (Missoula Children’s Theater) and the Grand Coulee Dam PTA (Parent Teacher Association), will be held March 5, 2018, at 3:30 p.m. in the High School Gym. I would like to share some questions and their answers about this opportunity the PTA brings to our children.

Every year we have questions that are asked and some people are too shy to ask them, so I thought I would answer them publicly.

Is this the same MCT program that comes to Spokane and does a four-hour-a-day summer camp that costs $150 to audition for and $25 or so to watch? It is the same group, doing the same thing they are doing for us. The PTA just chooses which play. It may even be the same one. So why doesn’t the PTA charge to audition? This is not a fund-raiser for us; it is providing an opportunity for our local children.

Why do I have to pay to see my child perform on Saturday; can’t each family get in free, at least one person? We charge an entry fee to help cover our cost to put on the play. The MCT bill alone is about $3,500, not counting other expenses. When all was said and done with donations and entry fees, we almost covered our costs last year.

Would it be OK for my child to miss one practice for an appointment we made three months ago? Considering there are 3-5 practices, no. If your child cannot make one practice, they either need to not audition or change the appointment. It is just not possible for them to learn their lines or for other performers to work around someone being gone.

The flier that was sent home says it is due back March 2; there is no school that day, so what should parents do? Send it back to school by March 1, 2018. Or bring it in before rehearsal March 5, and make arrangements to have your child at auditions no later than 3:30 p.m.

Kim Stout