It was a “curiouser and curiouser” sight in the lobby of
Blaisdell Hall Wednesday afternoon.

A group of boys and girls, donning upside down flower pots
adorned with flowers, butterflies and dragonflies, were enjoying a
“mad tea party” straight out of the classic story “Alice in
Wonderland,” sort of. These tea drinkers were actually
lobsters.

The iced tea from real tea cups and the treat of lady fingers
was one of the activities planned for the younger actors, while the
older ones were inside the Bromeley Family Theater rehearsing this
year’s edition of Missoula Children’s Theater, an event sponsored
for the past 13 summers by the Bradford Creative and Performing
Arts Center.

The event includes a tour team coming to town with lights, sets,
costumes, props and make-up. They cast a group of 60 kids from the
Bradford area to put on a performance of some classic that always
has a twist in the storyline.

“The Missoula experience is like a merit badge that these kids
wear for years,” said Sandy Lyter, Art in Education co-chair. “The
workshop and show are also great examples of BCPAC’s commitment to
bringing the arts to an often overlooked constituency. And they’re
a lot of fun, too.”

Terri Smith, another member of the Art in Education committee,
said that unlike other Missoula experiences, BCPAC’s includes
activities for the younger kids when they are not on stage. The
kids go home if they are not on stage in other workshops.

Enter the tea party.

“They pay for a week, they get a week’s full,” Smith said.

The workshop is important to develop a child’s interest in the
arts.

“We try to build an interest in theater,” Smith said, adding now
that they are in the Bromeley Theater, the kids are becoming more
aware of how a theater works, including what happens backstage and
in dressing rooms.

“They are getting more background to theater doing this,” Smith
said.

One participant couldn’t agree more.

Abby Minich of Limestone, N.Y., has participated in the program
for the past eight years. This year, she takes the stage as Tall
Alice.

“It’s amazing,” she said. “It’s such an awesome experience.”

Abby said she’s always loved to perform and act. The Missoula
workshop has given her an outlet for her talents.

So far, her favorite performance has been “Hansel and Gretel,”
when she played a wicked witch.

“I had this amazing costume all made of candy,” she said. In
this story, she ended up not eating the children because she was a
vegetarian.

Abby, who is going into her junior year of high school, had to
miss part of a session because she had to take a regents exam.

She said when she first started, she was a little shy. Over the
years, she’s overcome that.

“It helps to have stage presence,” she said. “To know what
people look for and expect … to put on a good show and
entertain.”

And for Abby, those are skills that will last a lifetime.

“My life will definitely involve performing and acting,” the
16-year-old said.

The performance will be at 2 p.m. Saturday in Bromeley Family
Theater.

Tickets will be available at the door or can be purchased
through BCPAC’s Web site or at the office.