Missoula Children’s Theatre to present “Robinson Crusoe” at the Rio Grande Theatre!
Who: Missoula Children’s Theater
What: “Robinson Crusoe”
When: July 13th-18th
Where: The Rio Grande Theater
Contact: (575) 523-6403
Missoula Children’s Theatre to present “Robinson Crusoe” at the Rio Grande Theatre
Hula-dancing Chameleons and other wacky characters from Friday’s Seaside Resort will take center stage at the Rio Grande Theatre from July 13 – 18 as the Missoula Children’s Theatre brings their annual production to Las Cruces. Auditions for Robinson Crusoe will be held Monday, July 13 in the lobby of the Rio Grande Theatre, beginning at 10am and will run about two hours. Some of the cast members will be asked to stay for rehearsal immediately following the audition.
Approximately 50 roles are available for local students and the week-long rehearsal/workshop process will culminate with two public performances on the Rio Grande Theatre stage, Saturday, July 18, at 3pm and 7pm. Children ranging in age from 5 to 18 are encouraged to audition. Five-year-olds must have completed kindergarten. No advance preparation is necessary. Most students rehearse approximately 4 ½ hours each day, Monday through Friday. Two theatre professionals will conduct the auditions, direct the show and supply costumes, make-up and supervise the actual performances. Non-acting assistant directors and technicians are also needed.
Conceived and written by Jim Caron, with music by Greg Boris and lyrics by Jim Caron, Robinson Crusoe departs drastically from Daniel Dafoe’s novel to envision a time, years after the shipwreck that stranded Crusoe on his island. He and his sole companion, a goat named Wilson, have turned the island into a tourist destination centered around a lovable singing leopard, a tribe of natives known for their colorful coifs, Friday’s Seaside Resort and, of course, the legend of Robinson Crusoe, himself. Told through flashback, the story comes to life, with the entire population of the island, including a herd of goats, an all-animal band and the inevitable hula-dancing chameleons, coming together to discover that differences need not stand in the way of friendship.
A fee of $40 for the first child and $20 for each additional child will be charged if they are cast. Scholarships are available. The Missoula Children’s Theatre is brought to the community by the Doña Ana Arts Council. For more information contact the DAAC office at 523-6403.