While some may be focused on upcoming football kick-offs, we are impatiently awaiting our own kick-off of the 26-27 Youth Series with our Theatre for Young Audiences (TYA) production. The TYA show happens once a year and is performed by adult actors for an audience of children. For some insight into what TYA is, I talked to our Education Director and Stellaluna’s director, Emily Morrison. She explained, “TYA, or Theatre for Young Audiences, is a program near and dear to our hearts at MCT. We collaborate with SPARK! Arts and the Missoula Public Schools to create a show tailored to the comprehension and interest of second graders. When choosing a TYA title, we look at what books are being read in the classrooms to create a curriculum-to-stage connection. Then, all the MCPS second graders come to watch the show as a field trip!”
I also wanted to know what Emily loves about working on a TYA show. She shared, “Our annual TYA show is often local children’s first exposure to live theatrical performance. How special is that! We always carve out one performance to be Sensory Friendly, in which we make changes to the show for folks who need a less stimulating environment to enjoy their theatre outing. This year’s TYA title is Stellaluna, the charming story of a little fruit bat adopted by a family of birds. Stellaluna shows us how important it is to look at things from other people’s points of view.”
Stellaluna, adapted for the stage from the bestselling children’s book by the same name, is a heartwarming story featuring exciting puppets, fun songs, tap dancing, tumbling, and more! I have the pleasure of joining the Stellaluna cast myself, and I asked my fellow castmates what they are most excited about for their upcoming TYA performance!
Here’s what they said:
Actor 1, Jacob– “I’m excited to puppeteer and to play piano.”
Actor 2, Aubrie– “I am really excited to share something I love and see it received with enthusiasm by young artists!”
Actor 3, Kelsey– “There is nothing else like performing for a group of schoolchildren! Their energy is unmatched, and it’s so heartwarming to watch them experience the magic of live theatre.”
Actor 4, Darci (me!)– “I love a piece like Stellaluna that is collaborative among all the actors and uses movement to tell a story!”
Actor 5, Andrew– “I haven’t used puppets since Rainbow Fish, so I’m excited to use puppets again.”
To see Stellaluna and her bird friends, fly on over to the Missoula Children’s Theatre on September 19th at 12pm or 2pm! Tickets can be purchased online, by phone, or in person at the Box Office.