Hopping for a role

115 children vie for parts in "The Frog Prince"

MOSES LAKE — Sarah Wright and Katie Becker were looking for a few young tadpoles.

And a princess. And a turtle. And dozens of other swamp creatures.

They are the directors of "The Frog Prince," a production of the Missoula Children's Theatre, and they found plenty of willing actors to fill the parts.

The show is run by Wright and Becker, who are one of 29 directing tours going around the nation putting on children's plays through the Missoula Children's Theatre. The local production is sponsored by Columbia Basin Allied Arts.

"You want the kid who wants to be there, the one who's excited," Becker said. "Or you're looking for a kid who could really use the opportunity of being in a play. Or sometimes you're looking for the kid where you say, 'Hey, sit down and be quiet,' and they sit down and be quiet."

Regardless of what they are looking for, 5-year-old Jordan Hendrixon hopes to prove there are no little roles, just little actors.

Even though this is his first audition, Jordan said he has been acting in his own one-man shows as long as he can remember, stretching back more than two years.

"I just do it all by myself," he said.

Jordan said he has even branched out into dialogues with his father, Don, who teaches drama at Moses Lake High School.

"Sometimes I play Spider Man and Dad plays the bad guys," Jordan said.

Jordan said he is ready to share the stage with others in "The Frog Prince."

Once the directors have filled the roles, they will get the actors ready for two 80-minute shows Saturday.

Ginny Harai, an Allied Arts board member since 1990, said she has seen many productions in her tenure.

"It's amazing what these people do," she said. "They bring out the best in these children."