Children’s Theatre production on Friday at Ritzville Grade School

The Missoula Children’s Theatre (MCT) is traveling to Ritzville Grade School to put on a performance of Blackbeard The Pirate on Friday, Feb. 13.

Students from the local school district participate as the actors for the performance about the quest for treasure and the fun that happens along the way.

Performance times are at 1:30 p.m. and 6 p.m. on Feb. 13. Tickets are $5 for adults and $3 for students or children.

The students participating as actors in the play range from Blackbeard, to mermaids to parrots.

Megan Buriak is stepping into the role of Blackbeard. Dakota Killian is playing Bluebeard, with Nathan Kropushek as Redbeard.

Willow Rountree is Greybeard, Sydney Kinch plays Yellowbeard and Levi Hoeft plays the role of Peachfuzz. Lauren Miller plays Lieutenant Maynard.

The Beach Bums of the play are Kaiden Bell, Morgan Lane, Garrett Roettger, Jessica Ruse, Kristen Shaw and Nathan Vlk.

Hunter Cameron, Danny Chavez, Ashton Cousins, Hayden Melcher, Travis Redburn, Traye Redburn and Shawn Steinberger play the Sailors.

The Mermaids in the play are Savannah Carruth, Lynzi Gaede, Ireana Goodman, Emilia Klewin, Rose Roettger and Ashleigh Swartz.

The Crabs are Trever Bailey, Blake Esser, Alexis Gorman and Ella Greenwalt.

The students playing Seaweed Creatures are Olivia Balfe, Madison Bartlett, Phaedra Hickey, Alayna Kiel and JP McAnally.

The Parrots of the play are Aeowyn Armstrong, Sebastien Bonita, Madisyn Cameron, Addy Colbert, Levi Goodman, Chloe Hoeft, Shelby Kidwell, Erik Klewin, Connor McAnally, Jackson Nichols, Malachi Price, Kelianne Swartz and Micah Verhey.

The Assistant Director of the play is Colby Tracy, and Sam Ricci serves as Jolly Rodger. The Director of the production is Andrew Stairs.

MCT, the nation’s largest touring children’s theatre, has been touring extensively for more than 40 years now from Montana to Japan, and visits nearly 1,200 communities a year with up to 44 teams of Tour Actor/Directors.

A tour team arrives in a given town with a set, lights, costumes, props and make-up, everything it takes to put on a play, except the cast.

The team holds an open audition and casts 50-60 local students to perform in the production. The show is rehearsed throughout the week and two public performances are presented.

All MCT shows are original adaptations of classic children’s stories and fairytales; a twist on the classic stories.

Also included in the residency are three enrichment workshops presented by the Tour Actor/Directors. Creativity, social skills, goal achievement, communication skills and self-esteem are all characteristics that are attained through the participation in this unique, educational project.

MCT’s mission is the development of life skills in children through participation in the performing arts.