Pomeroy kids present "Beauty Lou and the Country Beast"
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-EW photo by Naomi Scoggin
The production cast included: Front row-the Barnyard Critters: Skylar Hodges, Cooper Nagle, Carson Koller, Claire Nagle, Bjorn Severson, Raistlin Thomas, Riley Stroisch, Colson Lunsford, Harrison Stallcop, Dublin Daley, Roy Ledgerwood, McKenna Hodges, Jordyn Hames, Lois Klaveano, Jeremiah Herman, and Decklyn Metcalfe; the Beast: Merritt Scoggin. Second row-Fleabite Clyde played by Katherine Burnstad, the Younger Daughters: Lily Hyer, Hazel Setzer, Kitana Vasquez, Michelle Bingman, Emmerson Taylor, and Maggie McKeehan; Younger Beauty Lou played by Charlee Stallcop; the Older Daughters: Natalie Fuchs, Brenna McKeirnan, Jaycee Ames, Hadley Hames, Genevieve McKeirnan, and Aurora Vasquez. Back Row-County Folk: Isabella Gephart, Kasen Taylor, Aurora Smith, Francis Burke, Jake Ledgerwood, Caden Bennett, Madelyn McKeirnan, Lilah Blickenstaff, Silja Severson, Faith DeBord, Maverick Stroisch, Daxon Metcalfe, Kamryn Reisdorph, Roman Vasquez, Elizabeth Lindgren, Kanin Koller, AuroraMae Reed; Slim played by Blake Warren; The Imaginary Friend played by Josephine Watson; Older Beauty Lou played by Elisabeth Carroll; Dusty played by Chase Warren; and the assistant directors: Sage Kimble, Savannah Lyden, and Aisling Davis. Not pictured is assistant director Ben Carroll. -EW photo by Naomi Scoggin
POMEROY-The Missoula Children's Theater production of Beauty Lou and the Country Beast on February 3 was comprised of a cast of 57 of Pomeroy's children. After an audition on Monday, January 29, the kids practiced in the afternoon after school hours until their performances on Friday.
-EW photo by Naomi Scoggin
The critter line, performing their Barnyard Symphony, contained Skylar Hodges, Cooper Nagle, Carson Koller, Claire Nagle, Bjorn Severson, Raistlin Thomas, Riley Stroisch, Colson Lunsford, Harrison Stallcop, Dublin Daley, Roy Ledgerwood, McKenna Hodges, Jordyn Hames, Lois Klaveano, Jeremiah Herman, and Decklyn Metcalfe. Standing behind is MCT Director and Tour Actor Sammie Bonko. The second pony was backstage losing a tooth during the Barnyard Symphony song.
The Missoula Children's Theater began in the summer of 1970 when an unemployed actor, Jim Caron's Volkswagen van broke down near Missoula, Mont. While waiting for his car repair, he auditions for Men of La Mancha and was cast as Sancho.
During that play, he became friends with Don Collins who was playing the part of Don Quixote, and later, together, they fostered live performances for kids locally. It wasn't long before other towns and states requested, they come to their area. They would cast kids where they fit in classics such as Hansel and Gretel, and Snow White. By 1972 the company performed as far away as 500 miles but didn't like the idea of making the trip with seven kids. According to "The Full Story," Caron and the directors thought it better to cast kids from the performance location. It was a hit, thus implementing that casting process in future performances.
..."The lessons learned in those early days, especially the rewards of involving children as cast members, set the stage for today's International Tour, Performing Arts Camps, a strong local children's season, Missoula Community Theatre, and the magnificent home base facility that MCT is proud to call home..." https://mctinc.org/the-full-story/
The Pomeroy troupe gave two Friday performances.
