It's not what you are, it's who you are...
20/07/07
It’s not what you
are, it’s who you are .
I just spent a year with a bunch of unruly swamp things, venus fly traps, frogs, flamingo flamenco dancers, a talking tree, sea horses, rats, skunks, a singing starfish, mermaids, a country beast, a rooster, all kinds of royalty from kings and queens to princes and princesses, a clumsy servant, and a well read alligator named Bert.
Not your typical wildlife film. In fact it isn’t wildlife at all. We were filming “The Little Red Truck,” a film documenting the magic of the Missoula Children’s Theatre International Tour. For those of you who don’t know about it, The Missoula Children’s Theatre International Tour is in it’s 34th year. Every year over 42 trucks are sent out across North America, each with two tour actor directors, affectionately known as TAD’s, and all the gear that is needed to put on a full scale musical, including costumes and sets. The only thing needed is a venue and a cast. In just six short days, they audition and cast 60 kids, then spend an intense week rehearsing before putting on two, professional full scale musicals on the sixth day. This year alone, the tour will go to 1100 communities in all 50 states, 4 Canadian provinces and 14 countries with 65,000 children acting in an MCT play. All of this originating from the center of their universe, Missoula, Montana.
Consider that a small grassroots theater company in Missoula, Montana has spread out across the world to provide children not just a theatre experience that they couldn’t get in their own towns, but an experience in life that they can’t get anywhere else. In one short week, these kids learn some pretty valuable life lessons; teamwork, commitment, trust, tolerance, self-discipline and self esteem. It sounds like a pretty incredible story. It is the reason that I chose to take a short sabbatical from wildlife filmmaking for a year to make a film about it.
One of the things that I love about filmmaking is the transformation that happens in the process of making the film. It’s the realization that there is a much larger and more profound universal story at play. It is this timeless tale that intrigues me the most.
One of those tales that has presented itself in the course of making this film is about the state of the arts in our modern society. It astounds me that for all the arts do for childhood development, they are consistently being cut from school programs. For many of the kids in the towns that Missoula Children’s Theatre travels to, this one week immersion in the performing arts is the only arts experience they get all year. Not just performing arts, but the only arts!
In one town in the south, I asked a little 7 year old to give me the definition of "the arts." He thought a moment, then brilliantly replied, "the arts is how we express our emotions." I then asked what would the world be like without the arts? He said, " I don't want to live in that world." For all the laughter and entertainment that this film will bring, it is the subtle message of how important the arts are in our society, especially in the developmental ages, that has me most excited.
To see a child transformed before my very eyes was profound. To see it happen through a theatre arts experience was magical.
I recall one boy in Georgia was really afraid of playing his part. He told me that he had a really hard time in his third grade class the year before and was in trouble with his teacher because he just couldn't pay attention. He really believed he couldn't pay attention enough to do his part. So much so that by day two he stood up and announced, " Miss Corey, I think you should give this part to somebody else because I won't be able to remember my lines."
What happened though was the magic of MCT. You see, they go to these towns having no pre-conceived notion as to who these kids are. Every child is on an equal playing field where anything is possible.
Miss Corey replied to him, " Oh, don't worry, you'll be fine."
He held on to his script all week like a security blanket, often panicking when he misplaced it. But when it came time to step up and take stage, the look of surprise and glee on his face when he actually did remember his lines was priceless.
It wasn’t until that week was over and I was sitting back here in Missoula editing the footage that I realized the magic that had transpired. Through all the excitement of auditioning and rehearsing, the costumes and that magical moment of performance, the creation of a work of art, the Missoula Children’s Theatre tour actors had managed to deftly give a wonderful message to these children... it’s not what you are, it is who you are.
I’ve asked myself often what is it about this project that was so profound as to pull me away from my passion in life, wildlife, for over a year now. Looking back on this year, I think my question has been answered.
Rob Whitehair - Director
I just spent a year with a bunch of unruly swamp things, venus fly traps, frogs, flamingo flamenco dancers, a talking tree, sea horses, rats, skunks, a singing starfish, mermaids, a country beast, a rooster, all kinds of royalty from kings and queens to princes and princesses, a clumsy servant, and a well read alligator named Bert.
Not your typical wildlife film. In fact it isn’t wildlife at all. We were filming “The Little Red Truck,” a film documenting the magic of the Missoula Children’s Theatre International Tour. For those of you who don’t know about it, The Missoula Children’s Theatre International Tour is in it’s 34th year. Every year over 42 trucks are sent out across North America, each with two tour actor directors, affectionately known as TAD’s, and all the gear that is needed to put on a full scale musical, including costumes and sets. The only thing needed is a venue and a cast. In just six short days, they audition and cast 60 kids, then spend an intense week rehearsing before putting on two, professional full scale musicals on the sixth day. This year alone, the tour will go to 1100 communities in all 50 states, 4 Canadian provinces and 14 countries with 65,000 children acting in an MCT play. All of this originating from the center of their universe, Missoula, Montana.
Consider that a small grassroots theater company in Missoula, Montana has spread out across the world to provide children not just a theatre experience that they couldn’t get in their own towns, but an experience in life that they can’t get anywhere else. In one short week, these kids learn some pretty valuable life lessons; teamwork, commitment, trust, tolerance, self-discipline and self esteem. It sounds like a pretty incredible story. It is the reason that I chose to take a short sabbatical from wildlife filmmaking for a year to make a film about it.
One of the things that I love about filmmaking is the transformation that happens in the process of making the film. It’s the realization that there is a much larger and more profound universal story at play. It is this timeless tale that intrigues me the most.
One of those tales that has presented itself in the course of making this film is about the state of the arts in our modern society. It astounds me that for all the arts do for childhood development, they are consistently being cut from school programs. For many of the kids in the towns that Missoula Children’s Theatre travels to, this one week immersion in the performing arts is the only arts experience they get all year. Not just performing arts, but the only arts!
In one town in the south, I asked a little 7 year old to give me the definition of "the arts." He thought a moment, then brilliantly replied, "the arts is how we express our emotions." I then asked what would the world be like without the arts? He said, " I don't want to live in that world." For all the laughter and entertainment that this film will bring, it is the subtle message of how important the arts are in our society, especially in the developmental ages, that has me most excited.
To see a child transformed before my very eyes was profound. To see it happen through a theatre arts experience was magical.
I recall one boy in Georgia was really afraid of playing his part. He told me that he had a really hard time in his third grade class the year before and was in trouble with his teacher because he just couldn't pay attention. He really believed he couldn't pay attention enough to do his part. So much so that by day two he stood up and announced, " Miss Corey, I think you should give this part to somebody else because I won't be able to remember my lines."
What happened though was the magic of MCT. You see, they go to these towns having no pre-conceived notion as to who these kids are. Every child is on an equal playing field where anything is possible.
Miss Corey replied to him, " Oh, don't worry, you'll be fine."
He held on to his script all week like a security blanket, often panicking when he misplaced it. But when it came time to step up and take stage, the look of surprise and glee on his face when he actually did remember his lines was priceless.
It wasn’t until that week was over and I was sitting back here in Missoula editing the footage that I realized the magic that had transpired. Through all the excitement of auditioning and rehearsing, the costumes and that magical moment of performance, the creation of a work of art, the Missoula Children’s Theatre tour actors had managed to deftly give a wonderful message to these children... it’s not what you are, it is who you are.
I’ve asked myself often what is it about this project that was so profound as to pull me away from my passion in life, wildlife, for over a year now. Looking back on this year, I think my question has been answered.
Rob Whitehair - Director