Missoula Children's Theater brings Robin Hood to Kadena

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. Christopher Marasky
  • 18th Wing Public Affairs
KADENA AB, Japan --  Robin Hood and his band of "Merry Men" made their debut appearance at Kadena Air Base July 26, brought to life by none other than the youth of the Okinawa military community.

The opportunity was provided by the Missoula Children's Theater in conjunction with the Schilling Community Center and Kadena's School Age program.

The Missoula Children's Theatre came to the base to provide a week-long residency "starring" 50-60 local students in a full-scale musical, in this case, "Robin Hood". Auditions were held at the beginning of the week, and the students, grades K-12, were cast in their roles. They rehearsed throughout the week, learning lines, songs and choreography and preparing to perform as an ensemble in a full-length musical.

"Basically we come into a town on Sunday and do the auditions," said Mr. Samuel Rudolph, director for Kadena's MCT team. "We'll then practice Monday through Friday, and on Saturday we'll do two shows before heading off to the next town on Sunday."

The team that visited Kadena will handle roughly 40 shows over the course of the year, and the MCT as a whole will conduct 1,100 shows around the country, giving more than 65,000 children a chance to enjoy the spotlight.

Working with Kadena's children was a particularly easy task said Mr. Rudolph.

"There are some weeks that we have to work really hard to teach the kids," he said, "and then there are weeks like this where we don't have to work as hard. There are a lot of talented kids here this week; I've been very impressed."

The children involved in the play are as eager to participate as they are talented, said Steven Jones, a Camp Lester dependent who played the role of "Prince John."

"It's a little stressful because you're learning all your lines in one week, but it's a lot of fun," he said.

That excitement can be seen in the younger children as well, said Heather Hanna, Kadena's School Age program liaison with the MCT.

"It's amazing. They've been memorizing their lines and working with our staff members," she said. "They are really excited to be able to perform in such a short period of time."

In addition to providing the children a fun experience and allowing the parents and community to see them perform, the MCT is also providing the children with life skills said Ms. Renee Roberts, an actress that travels with the theater.

"Our company is dedicated to the development of life skills in children through the use of performing arts," she said. "We really work to help them build up their confidence with what we do."

The MCT has been touring for more than 30 years. More information can be found at www.mctinc.org.