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MCT & The Military

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The Missoula Children’s Theatre has been serving the children and families of the United States Military—at home and abroad—for more than 25 years. Our Red Truck Tour visits U.S. Navy, Air Force, Army, Marines and Coast Guard locations, filling an important morale-building need.

Bring the Missoula Children’s Theatre to your military community today by emailing tour@MCTinc.org or phoning (406) 829-5202.

Photo of two young performers performing the Wizard of Oz. One performer is the cowardly lion and one is the wizard from Emerald City.

In 2009, Navy Child and Youth Programs (CYP) announced a new partnership with MCT. At the time, I was a Youth Center Director at a small Navy base in south Texas constantly searching for fun opportunities to provide for my children and families. Navy CYP made it easy for me to say yes to an MCT residency. Little did I know MCT would have a profound impact on my life, the lives of my children and families, and thousands more to come. After my first MCT experience, I was hooked. The team made everything so easy, and the children loved it! In 2010, I began working at Navy CYP Headquarters to coordinate MCT residencies across the Navy CYP’s 104 Youth Centers worldwide. Over the past 12 years, MCT has served more than 50,000 Navy children and families through residencies on-base, both stateside and overseas.

On behalf of Navy Child and Youth Programs, THANK YOU MCT for supporting our military service members and their families…we wouldn’t be able to fulfill our military and defense support responsibilities without you!

Brent Edwards
Navy Child and Youth Programs – Youth Programs Coordinator

When the MCT program comes…it is during that week that magic happens. The kids show up and instantly meet new friends. This will carry over into the school year where they won’t have to show up and not know a soul and have to eat lunch alone. This is the great fear for children who repeat this process every two to four years…the simple act of hosting MCT builds a military community from the ground up. How powerful is that?”On behalf of Navy Child and Youth Programs, THANK YOU MCT for supporting our military service members and their families…we wouldn’t be able to fulfill our military and defense support responsibilities without you!

Major General JL Briggs, USAF (Ret.)

Toby was such a good contact. She was friendly, warm, and prepared. She had promotional materials up all over the place, had the scripts and the schedules ready to go upon our arrival, two rehearsal spaces ready to go, and was happy to show us around the base/ island. We went hiking with her this week, exploring with her, and she even took us to meet her dogs! WE LOVE TOBY!

Megan and Morgan, MCT Team Kodiak, Alaska USCG

MCT has been a constant for my children as our family navigates the deployments, remote tours, and PCS’es (Permanent Change of Station) of military life. The year when we left Scott AFB my children were sad to miss MCT week at Scott. However when we got to JBPHHH we found that MCT would be there the following week. That was a summer while we were still in lodging and my kids knew no one in the area yet. Having MCT gave them a wonderful week of activity and friendship while living in a hotel room.

Darby – Parent

I was skeptical that they could come to Robins Air Force Base in Georgia and have an audition on Monday and present on Friday that same week…WOW….they did it…AMAZING. They did a wonderful, phenomenal job. They were so patient and respectful with the children. I kept commenting to the Youth Centers representative that “they must be angels in disguise for them to be so upbeat and focused.Thank you all for giving our children this opportunity. It was perfect in every way. It allowed my daughter to participate and feel part of a team, she even learned her lines within two (2) days.” My sincere gratitude to Melissa and Terry.

Fathma – Parent, Robins AFB, GA

First, I wanted to say that my children’s first experience with MCT was just this last week at Naval Base Guam, and it was simply magical. At the beginning of the week, my oldest son didn’t even want to participate, and my wife had to literally drag him to the audition. He ended up getting one of the bigger parts in the production and was fabulous. His outlook on theater is now completely different! We have five children in our family, and three of them were able to perform last night. It was so much fun to watch, and the kids enjoyed the whole week so much.

Jason – Parent, Naval Base Guam

A military tour with Missoula Children’s Theatre is one of the most exciting and rewarding experiences. It’s amazing to see the military families come together for a fun-filled week to see the kids step into their role onstage. Having the experiences with the military families has left such a positive impact on the kids lives and my life as well. These weeks are also a great way to explore new, exciting places. It’s the thrill of a lifetime.

Courtney – MCT Tour Actor

Working on military bases, whether in the United States or overseas, has always been a huge privilege. My favorite thing about the experience is providing a space where the cast members can express themselves and connect with others. Sometimes cast members will be new to the base (or state or country) and have not found their footing yet. By participating in our show, they get to be a part of a community where everyone is new. We build our little community throughout the week, and I’ve seen cast members gain confidence, make new friends, and find a sense of belonging. What a gift it is to have been a part of this!

Bridget – MCT Tour Actor
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