MISSOULA — Arts Appreciation Week in Missoula wanted to acknowledge more than just art and theater.
For the actors who visited Missoula from around the country, it was about fostering a love of expression that should begin at a young age.
Arts Appreciation Week happened from Sept. 8 – 14 in Missoula, and one of the main attractions SPARK! Arts Missoula brought in was a production of “Charlotte’s Web” for the Missoula County Public Schools.
The actors for the play came from across the country. Griffin Hutchins, who stars as Wilber, is form Georgia. Adelyn Helms, who play Charlotte, comes to Missoula from Pennsylvania.
All the kids who attended the play had a great time, but the time spent here is about more than that; it’s also about trying to grow a love for the arts in children at a young age.
“I really wanted to do children’s theater off the bat when I graduated, and that’s what I have been doing,” Hutchins said. “Just to see the joy on some of the kids’ faces afterwards and seeing us in costume and getting a chance to talk to us is really awesome.”
Helms has been performing since she was in elementary school. Being on stage and performing is fun, but it’s those offstage moments, when she gets to interact with the kids, that she loves the most.
“They are young, but they are really engaged. We get a chance to have a talk back after the show,” Helms said. “And they get to ask questions, and then even after that we get to meet them in the lobby and talk some more. It’s amazing how much they pick up.”
