'Robin Hood' in a week

MOSES LAKE — About 61 children performed “Robin Hood” on Saturday with only a week of rehearsal time.

The performers took part in Missoula Children’s Theatre, offered through Columbia Basin Allied Arts. The group recruits local children, ranging from kindergarten through 12th grade, to act and gives them just a week to rehearse.

Randy Johnstad, Columbia Basin Allied Arts’ director, said the group has come to Moses Lake since the 1970s. The theater group tours all of the states and outside of the United States.

Conner Boss, who played King John, said the event was tiring but fun. He was rehearsing from 3:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. last week.

“It’s really organized,” he said. “It’s really flows all together and the way you can experiment helps me grow as an actor.”

Boss and his friend Jesse Alvarado, who played the Sheriff of Nottingham, said they perform as part of the theater group every time it comes to Moses Lake. Boss said he’s been in about seven plays and Alvarado said he has been in six.

“There are new people every time, but probably about two-thirds of them are from previous plays,” he said.

Boss and Alvarado said as older performers they get to try different things, which aren’t in the script. This includes one scene where the sheriff accidentally knocks down the king while he’s motioning.

“I only looked at about half of the lines, but I knew all of them,” Alvarado said.

Both of the performers recommend the experience.

“It keeps people out of trouble and gives them something to do after school,” Alvarado said.

“There is a lot of hard work that goes into acting, but it’s a lot of fun,” Boss said.

Sheena Bergeron and Joe Godburn, the tour actor and director, said the success of the show has a lot to do with the kids.

“(The Moses Lake performers) have a huge amount of energy,” Godburn said. “They really pulled it out during the show.”

Bergeron said the kids in these performances are pretty incredible.

“Just have a little faith in them and you’ll see what they can do,” she said.