Thanks to theatre it has been my good fortune to study in Great Britain and Paris and perform in a good portion of Japan and Canada as well as over forty states even Hawaii! – Alaska is still on the bucket list.

In England I was mistaken as a native and asked for directions by a German couple while in Japan I had to rely on the kindness of people with whom I did not share a common language to help me when I got lost. In Hawaii I ate poi for the first and last time and in North Carolina I ate a burger with coleslaw on it – again for the first and last time.

Aside from being great fun, building my resume and paying the bills, my travels have helped me understand the relevance of cultural diversity. Our country, workplaces, and schools increasingly consist of various cultural, racial, and ethnic groups. We can learn from one another, but first we must have a level of understanding about each other in order to facilitate collaboration and cooperation.

These are big ideas, I know, but this month’s presentation of Gulliver’s Travels by Missoula Children’s Theatre brings them into the spotlight through the out-of-this world adventure of Gulliver, an astronaut who finds himself “lost in space” (imagine those last three words said in an echo chamber). In search of a way back home, Gulliver travels to planets inhabited by crazy inexplicable creatures that all need just as much help from Gulliver as Gulliver needs from them.

Auditions for students first through eighth grade for this event will be April 9 and performances will be Friday, April 13 at 7PM and Saturday, April 14 at 2PM. Learn More at www.thepac.net

This month the PAC Kid Spotlight shines on Chanelle DauPino of John Hardin High School. Catch her work down the road at Hardin County Playhouse in The 39 Steps the weekends of April 6-8 & 12-15. Learn more about Chanelle and our other PAC Kids.

Congratulations to our A midsummer Night’s Dream Survey Winner: Leslie Jenkins. We hope to see you back at the PAC very soon!