Teresa Waldorf is guest directing Once Upon A Mattress for Missoula Community Theatre and, by all accounts, the cast and crew are having a ridiculously fun time! We asked Teresa to tell us what she loves about this show, and here's what she had to say:Thus, it is my distinct pleasure to invite you to jump on stage with the completely delightful and magnetic Jenn Hogan and travel with her to this new land across the swamps where you will meet one of the most amazing and talented group of actors and musicians I have ever had the pleasure to play with. And while you’re there, take a good close look at the place . . . it takes a magical design team and a host of support staff and volunteers to get to the “fairy” in fairy tale. And no comic romp like this could be possible without the most cracker-jack stage manager, Katie Manion, our gifted music director Greg Boris, and choreographer Lisa Deer, all of whom are literally always smiling and laughing and really understand the importance of yes.
I hope to see you at the show where you can forget your troubles, come on get happy, and shorten the distance between yourself and someone else.
Teresa Waldorf is the educational outreach coordinator for the Montana Repertory Theatre, an adjunct professor for the University of Montana School of Theatre and Dance, one half of KBGA’s The Ann and Teresa and Ann Show, a stand-up comic, a long-time Missoula actress, a huge dog lover—that is to say someone who loves huge dogs—a really good harmonizer, the director of Teresa Waldorf’s Summer Theatre Day Camp, the wife of a very supportive fellow artist/musician/cook/handyman/computer guy, the mother of two insanely funny teenagers who honestly may not even know she is directing this show, and the daughter of this great little lady who volunteers her time to sew costumes for MCT.
A few months ago, Michael McGill received a phone call from a parent of an child with autism who wanted more information about an upcoming Missoula Community Theatre production, Once Upon A Mattress. During that conversation, Michael learned that this show was this child's favorite musical but that some technical elements of the show—lighting changes or loud noises, for instance—may not be ideal for someone living on the autism spectrum. So the MCT Production department went to work, discussing the ways that this show could be modified, and they came up with a plan for an adapted performance which will include lowered levels of light and sound, designated quiet areas in the lobby, and a team of autism experts and trained volunteers the night of the performance.
Here's a holiday message from executive director, Michael McGill:
Our time is precious, and how we use it becomes very important—maybe most important. Time spent with friends and family is such a valuable part the holidays. It is the giving of something personal to you, your time. So get together and go sledding, play a board game, or go sing for your neighbors, but spend it doing things together. Give it the proper place in your holiday because, before you turn around, it’s over.
When money is scarce, spend time. It’s worth more.
Adios!
Don
- Find or take a photo where you are wearing MCT apparel.
- Upload your photo to MCT by December 19. (If you're under age 18, please have your parent or guardian enter this contest for you.)
- Put your name and email address in the message with the photo so we can contact you if you win.
UPDATE December 20, 2011:
And we have a winning photo! Congratulations to the Pieratts!
The cast of She Loves Me rehearsing.
Not many people are familiar with the title She Loves Me. The story is based upon a 1930s Hungarian play called Parfumerie which became a popular movie a decade later as The Shop Around the Corner starring Jimmy Stewart. And in 1949, Judy Garland and Van Johnson starred in a musical version of that same story called In The Good Old Summertime. For those of you who might not know those movies because of your age, you may know the recent adaptation of this popular story You've Got Mail, starring Meg Ryan and Tom Hanks.
I guess what I’m getting to is that, although not a familiar title, She Loves Me is good enough to have been retold many times. Even the original Broadway musical which previewed in 1963 was revived in 1993.
The 1994 cast of Missoula Community Theatre's She Loves Me.
In Missoula, this beautifully crafted story was first performed at the Front Street Theatre in 1994. That cast included now MCT executive director, Michael McGill, along with Alicia Bullock-Muth, Deny Staggs, and sixteen-year-old Andy Meyers (I was also in that production as the busboy). Now seventeen years later to the date, Meyers leads this cast in this romantic comedy with its endearing innocence and a touch of elegance, nostalgia, and sentimental emotions that never age; even in this age of technology and social media.
I hope that you connect with these characters, as we did, and hope that you have found, or continue to look for your "soul-mate." Who knows, they might be sharing your cubicle.
—Joseph Martinez
