Lost in Corn

First of all, the week in Wisconsin went very well! The kids did a very good job and they all had a blast. There were a few dropped lines but they recovered well and had the audience rolling with laughter. I'm so proud of them. 

This week we found ourselves in Iowa. I've driven through it to get to South Dakota but this is the first time I have actually experienced Iowa. For starters, THERE IS SO MUCH CORN. Miles and miles of corn. In every direction you look, there is corn to be found. We haven't hit any major towns in Iowa and, therefore, all we have encountered are farms, much like southern Illinois. The town we have our residency in is extremely small. I thought my hometown was tiny. I come from a town of about 8,000. This town's COUNTY has 7,000. It's a very interesting dynamic. I like the aesthetic of the town. The shops and movie theatres are very inviting and intriguing. Everyone knows everyone. The place where we are staying is named "The Six-Toed Cat". It's a wonderful bed and breakfast place and the people working there are sweet hearts. I have never stayed in a bed and breakfast before. It's been a wonderful experience thus far, and its only Monday!

Anyway, we held auditions this morning. Our contact said to expect around 25 kids but 49 arrived! We were relieved. We can do the show with 25, but it would take some adjusting. The kids were so excited! We were told that Missoula Children's Theatre is a high light of their year! I couldn't wait to see what they had to offer! During auditions, the majority of them were so creative and excited to say the lines we gave them. My favorite part of Snow White auditions is hearing the evil laugh from the older kids. Each one is different. This week we had a 12 year old girl cast as the queen because she had no reservations with the queen lines and her laugh was brilliant. The queen usually is given to an older girl because of the amount of lines. But, as soon as she walked onstage for the first rehearsal, she was fully committed to the character. I was so pleased! Usually, the girl who gets the queen needs a little coaxing to fully commit. Not this one. When she said her first line, I was scared half to death and then extremely excited. She is going to rock in this production.

I'm so excited to see how this week goes. All of the kids are dedicated and are excited about their parts. It's such a joy to watch the kids grow as actors and as people. I have a great feeling about this week. These kids are going to be stellar.