The Blaine County Journal News-Opinion - We've Got The County Covered

In addition to conducting rehearsals for "The Frog Prince," the Missoula Children's Theater (MCT) production team hosted educational workshops for area students. January 28-February 1 became a week steeped in theater as each grade at Meadowlark Elementary School was treated to a theater workshop. Zurich Elementary students also received a school visit on January 29.

During the week, Meadowlark third and fifth graders engaged with MCT residents Ali Thompson and Kayla McSorley, in an acting seminar. Participating in a variety of exercises, they explored the basic entertainment tools of an actor's trade-observation, memorization, concentration, and imagination-and learned to apply them to both performing and to everyday life.

The remaining classes went on a jungle adventure with MCT personnel in a session called Drama Quest. Using their imaginations as well as engaging in active and energetic role-playing, the students developed their problem-solving skills.

Zurich students were joined at Zurich Elementary School by Cleveland School and Bear Paw School students on January 29 for a jungle adventure which required them to follow a map and to overcome obstacles like getting stuck in quick sand, crossing a ravine, and spanning a rickety bridge so that they could reach the lion's den and remove a thorn from the lion's paw.

About their time spent with MCT actors Thompson and McSorley, Caitlyn Lankford, a Cleveland School student whose teacher is Shirley Fisher, said that "making caves and stuff" was her favorite part of the activity, while Maci Schutz from Bear Paw School, a kindergarten student of Sheena Wortman's, said "the map parts were fun." Thompson and McSorley suggested the young people use the skills practiced during the workshop to go on an adventure at their next recess.

On Wednesday, January 30, the entire student body at Meadowlark assembled for an improvisation workshop. Students not only learned that improvisation games encourage people to work closely together and bring out their creative side but that improvisation-like brainstorming-works well for generating ideas, some of which are thrown out and some are kept.

Jungle Adventure. An actor with the Missoula Children's Theater, Ali Thompson gathers her explorers as they study a jungle map to determine their best route to reach the lion's den. Using their imaginations as well as engaging in active and energetic role-playing, students from Bear Paw, Cleveland, and Zurich Schools developed their problem-solving skills in a jungle adventure workshop.

The theatrical equivalent to jazz music, improvisation increases the mind's ability to form ideas and present them in a coherent, relevant manner. Because improvisation requires keen listening and concentration, this acting tool has application in many facets of life. Improvisers think on their feet and acknowledge opportunities as they arise. Most importantly, improvisers learn how to be flexible in their thinking, constantly reframing a situation, adjusting to the conversation they truly find themselves in, not the one they want to be in.

Whether aspiring actors, individuals who want to add to or improve a skill set, or someone who just needs a little more play in their life, Meadowlark Elementary students came away from the week having experienced the powerful applications of an actor's trade.

According to Jon Martin, Meadowlark School Principal, having MCT come to Chinook has multiple benefits, especially since MCT has a nationally known reputation for excellent programs. "Besides getting all students involved in the art of theater and acting with assistance from professional acting educators, a variety of research shows a correlation between academic achievement and quality art programs within schools," Martin said.