PACIFIC BEACH — The Friends of Pacific Beach Elementary School (FOPBES) recently welcomed two visiting directors from the Missoula Children’s Theatre (MCT) in Missoula, Mont. The two will produce and direct the musical “Treasure Island,” which will star 50 to 60 school children Saturday, Oct. 16 at Pacific Beach Elementary School. The magic of this production, however, is that all of this is carried out over one week’s time. “This will be the ninth year that Missoula Children’s Theatre has come to PB Elementary,” said Lani Ryan, with FOPBES, a parent’s organization. Having completed a successful production at a school near the Redwoods National Forest in Northern California, MCT’s Dan Davidson, 27, and Katie Murk, 23, arrived in San Diego on Oct. 11 to produce “Treasure Island.” “We bring everything in our red truck needed to put on a musical production,” Murk said. She is a certified teacher and co-director, while Davidson has a bachelor of fine arts degree in acting. “During the week, students learn about the audition process, acting, choreography, music, makeup, costumes, script reading, memorizing lines, cues, props, stage sets, lighting and — at the end of just one week of really hard work — they are able to perform a one-hour musical that is always absolutely amazing,” Ryan said. Each day, there are four hours of rehearsals which are divided into two two-hour sessions. The week culminates in two public performances. “You’d be amazed at what the kids can do,” Murk said. Murk insisted that by the third day the children would have the entire script memorized. She knows first-hand how much work goes into each production. Her first performance with MCT was when she was six-years-old and she played a pumpkin in one of its productions. Davidson and Murk have been touring since May 2009. “We are not trying to create small actors,” Murk said. “We are teaching theater and the arts to build self-confidence.” The directors arrive without any preconceived notions about the children. It is a chance for some students to have a behavioral clean slate and shine among their peers. All of the proceeds from the ticket sales stay with the school. The schools need to provide a piano, an accompanist and housing for the directors, who stay with local families. “Treasure Island” is the tale of Jim Hawkins and his six friends sailing around a sea of adventure and danger. Performances are open to the public and will be Saturday, Oct. 16, 3 to 4 p.m. and 7 to 8 p.m. The school is located at 1234 Tourmaline St. Ticket prices are $6 for adults and $4 for children ages 5 to 11. Light refreshments will be available before and after each show. MCT currently has 22 teams of two directors on the road. The program, which spreads by word of mouth, can have more than 42 teams on the road during its busier spring season. For more information visit www.mctinc.org.
