CHILD'S PLAY\Traveling team brings drama to town.

Byline: Jim Skeen Daily News Staff Writer

While they were traveling from town to town to perform "Pinocchio," someone dubbed the Missoula Children's Theatre team of John Frederick and Liz Rebert a "play in a pickup."

With everything for the production loaded in a pickup truck - including sets, costumes and their personal belongings - the pair pulls into a community, conducts auditions for their 50 or so child cast members and presents a play.

"We start on a Monday and have a show on Saturday," said Rebert, who has the title role.

The team will present "Pinocchio" at 3 p.m. and 7 p.m. Saturday at the Lancaster Performing Arts Center, 750 W. Lancaster Blvd. Tickets are $10 for adults and $5 for children.

Missoula Children's Theatre, or MCT for short, bills itself as the largest touring theater program in the United States, with 19 MCT teams touring North America.

The teams conduct the weeklong residences - presenting plays and conducting theater workshops at each stop - during a nine-month season, Frederick said.

The two-member teams spend nine months together on the road, breaking only for Christmas and spring vacation. MCT calls it "the world's longest blind date."

"It's tough. It wears on you after a while, but if it's something you like, it's worthwhile," said Frederick, who has the role of Geppetto.

It's a difficult lifestyle, but there are rewards, the team members said.

"There's at least one moment a week I say, yes, this is why I do this. It's a parent saying, 'This is a wonderful gift you've given to my child,' " Rebert said.

Both performers are recent college graduates, Frederick from the University of Northern Colorado and Rebert from Amherst College in Boston. Both learned of the MCT program while attending theater festivals near their colleges.

During the past 12 weeks, Frederick and Rebert have traveled in Canada, Idaho and Montana. When they arrive in a town, their sponsors - in this case, the city arts center - set up auditions for prospective cast members, ages 5 to 18, and arrange for a place for the team to stay.

The team selects its cast and prepares it for the show. The team also goes to different schools - six in Lancaster and Palmdale - in the area, conducting workshops on such topics as mime, improvisation, creative dramatics and acting tools.

"We give them a taste of theater they might not get otherwise," Rebert said.

Performances go smoothly, despite the compressed time frame for rehearsals.

"Occasionally there's a forgotten line, but we cover for them," Rebert said. "We haven't had anyone refuse to go on like I've heard happen to other teams."

When the show is over, the team packs up the gear and prepares to go to the next town. Sunday, their day off, is spent on the road.

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PHOTO

Photo (1--SAC and AV--color in AV only) Melissa Wiley, 12, left, co-director Liz Rebert, Kimberlynn Perea, 13, and co-director John Frederick improvise at Cole Middle School. (2--AV only--color) Liz Rebert, left, and John Frederick of the Missoula Children's Theatre demonstrate improvisation. Jeff Goldwater/Daily News