Ritz summer camp to present 'The Frog Prince'

Ritz summer camp to present 'The Frog Prince' In its 23rd year, The Ritz Theatre - in partnership with Missoula Children's Theatre - is hosting its summer theatre camp this and next week. The over 120 campers are to present The Frog Prince" this year. Performance dates are at 7 p.m. Friday and 2 p.m. Saturday; 7 p.m. on June 24 and 2 p.m. on June 25, at The Ritz, 30 S. Washington St. Tickets are $7 for adults and $4 for students. During the week when students aren't rehearsing, the campers participate in various activities instructed by volunteers. Mika Gibson, education director at The Ritz, said she couldn't do the camp without the 15-20 volunteers she has each week. In addition, each week there are four student assistant directors. For week one assistant directors are Lilly Langley, Leon Marksbury, Ella Kerschner of Columbian High School and Brad Sherck of Calvert Catholic High School. The ADs have helped younger age groups learn their lines and stage cues. "It is a huge job," Gibson said. It is not just about being under the spotlight, Gibson said about having assistant directors. "The students get to learn a different avenue of how theatre operates and experience new things," she said. Kerschner said she has learned leadership skills over this last week and Marksbury said he's learned all about how the backstage operates. Shows produced by MCT are all original adaptations of classic children's stories and fairytales, but with a twist.