Dreamland To Host Nationally-Touring Children’s Theater Program On-Island

The Nantucket Dreamland is bringing the Missoula Children’s Theatre (MCT), the nation’s largest touring children’s theatre organization, to the island this March for a week-long musical theatre residency and theatre workshops that will be offered completely free to Nantucket families.

From Monday, March 2 through Saturday, March 7, 2026, up to 60 local students in grades 1-12 will audition, rehearse, and perform a full production of "Beauty Lou and the Country Beast" on the Dreamland stage, working alongside Missoula’s professional touring actor-directors.

The residency and workshops are being provided at no cost thanks to the support of the Dreamland Board of Directors, proceeds from the annual DreamBIG fundraiser, and the Tammis Day Foundation.

“Bringing Missoula Children’s Theatre to Nantucket allows us to offer our young people a nationally recognized, professional theatre experience right here on the island,” said Alicia Carney, executive director of the Nantucket Dreamland Foundation. “By making this residency free to families, we are investing directly in the creativity, confidence, and future of Nantucket’s children.”

The Missoula Children’s Theatre has toured for more than 50 years, visiting nearly 1,000 communities each year across the United States and internationally. Each tour arrives with a complete set, costumes, lighting, and professional actor-directors, casting local children to create a full musical production in just five days.

Island students will audition on Monday, March 2 at 3 p.m. and then rehearse daily after school with Missoula’s professional touring actor-directors, learning lines, songs, choreography, and stagecraft before performing for the public just five days later. Students will be led by Missoula Children’s Theatre touring actor-directors Liliana Cudly and Izabella Londoño, who will guide the cast through auditions, rehearsals, and performances throughout the week. Both instructors have completed national criminal background checks and fingerprinting through Missoula Children’s Theatre’s touring program, along with extensive professional reference checks, ensuring a safe and supportive learning environment for all participants.

“This residency gives Nantucket students a chance to experience what it’s really like to be part of a professional production,” said the Dreamland's project manager, Jordana Fleischut. “From auditions to rehearsals to performing on the Dreamland stage, they’ll be working side by side with Missoula Children’s Theatre’s touring directors in a way that’s both exciting and incredibly meaningful.”

This year’s production, "Beauty Lou and the Country Beast," is a lively, country-western adaptation of the classic fairy tale Beauty & the Beast, filled with humor, music, and heart. The experience culminates in two public performances on Saturday, March 7 at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. on the Nantucket Dreamland stage.

Space is limited to approximately 60 cast members and up to four assistant directors, offering students interested in leadership or technical theatre the opportunity to work closely with Missoula Children’s Theatre’s touring professionals. Participation is completely free.

Two Ways to Participate: In addition to the full-week residency, Dreamland is also offering an Explorers Program for children who cannot commit to the full week but still want to experience theatre in a fun and engaging way. These one-hour, hands-on theatre workshops are open to all Nantucket students, whether or not they are participating in the week-long production, and each workshop includes a ticket to see "Beauty Lou and the Country Beast."

Workshops will be held on Saturday, March 7:
• Drama Quest Workshop (Kindergarten through 3rd Grade) — 12 p.m. – 1 p.m.
• Acting Workshop (4th through 8th Grade) — 4:00–5:00 p.m.

Auditions & Registration: Students in grades 1–12 who wish to participate in the full production must register in advance and attend a mandatory group audition on Monday, March 2 at 3:00 p.m. at the Nantucket Dreamland. No advance preparation is required. Space is limited to approximately 60 cast members and four assistant directors. Registration for all programs opens Saturday, February 14 at noon. For more information and registration: https://www.nantucketdreamland.org/education/missoula-childrens-theatre