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Fifty-five children ages 5 to 18 are taking part in a weeklong theater camp at the Palace Theater in Luverne.
Missoula Children’s Theatre conducts the five days of auditions and rehearsals, which culminate in two public performances Friday night and Saturday morning.
This year’s performance is “Snow Queen.”
On Monday morning the two children’s theater directors led participants through a series of audition exercises as they cast students into various parts.
Fifty-one students received acting parts with four students chosen as assistant directors: Leif Tollefson, Laura Sheppard, Adam Ask and Jackson Gangestad.
Monday afternoon and the rest of the week, students learned various acting methods as they prepared for the two public performances of the “Snow Queen.”
The play is set in the Land of Colored Ice and tells a story about two best friends, Gerty (played by Clara Talsma) and Kay (Elliot Visscher). Kay doesn’t believe the Snow Queen (Reilly Wulf) exists.
The Snow Queen kidnaps Kay, and Gerty sets out on a quest to find her friend.
The quest is retold by a group of fun-loving, imaginative hobgoblins.
During the storytelling, various characters such as yetis, talking reindeer and snow chickens help Gerty discover what it takes to overcome obstacles, keep resilience alive and melt down the Snow Queen’s icy walls to rescue her friend.
Directors of the play are Missoula Children’s Theatre veterans Shayla Rogers and Casey Papas. Both toured with the Missoula Community Theatre before picking up director’s scripts.
“I really missed working with the kids,” Rogers said. “This company holds special memories for me.”
As a child, Rogers participated in the weeklong practice sessions, which culminate in two public performances.
She remembers learning life skills of public speaking and self-confidence on the stage.
Papas relates to the skills learned on stage along with voice projection and learning to interact with people.
“I love to take theater to areas that don’t have much of an outlet,” he said.
Luverne, however, is rich in performance opportunities when compared to his experience in Utqiagvik, Alaska.
The hourlong play was written by Michael McGill and adapted from the classic fairy tale by Hans Christian Anderson.
The public performances are at 7 p.m. Friday and 10 a.m. Saturday at the Palace Theatre on Main Street Luverne.
Tickets are $5 and are available at the door or in advance at the Palace Theatre Box Office, 283-4339.
The Blue Mound Area Theatre, Green Earth Players and Luverne Community Education sponsor the annual theater camp with the help of a grant from the Southwest Minnesota Arts Council.