Angie Reinoehl/MDN Director Angela Schnaible, front, teaches choreography to students who will be portraying fairytale characters and creatures for the upcoming performance of “Shrek The Musical Jr.”

As eighth graders, Joslin Slind and Braya Monley are already seasoned actors. They are among nearly 60 children preparing to present “Shrek The Musical Jr.,” which will hit the stage starting Thursday, June 13.

A collaboration of The Western Plains Children’s Choir and Mouse River Players, the show engages children from third grade through eighth grade in portraying various storybook characters and creatures.

Slind, an eighth grader at Jim Hill Middle School, previously appeared in shows such as “The Sound of Music,” “Seusicle,” “Dr. Doolittle” and “A Christmas Story.” She will portray the Wicked Witch and said she is enjoying the choreography the most in this role. She started theater with thoughts of someday performing on the stages of Broadway in New York.

Monley, an eighth grader at Erik Ramstad Middle School, has taken on the role of Papa Bear. Monley has appeared in “Aladdin,” “The Lion King,” “The Wizard of Oz” and “Little Women.” She was inspired by her older sister, Kenleigh Monley, who was active in Minot’s theater scene, to join the stage.

She said productions can be stressful at first but actors quickly get the hang of it and can settle into their characters. She has enjoyed meeting and bonding with new cast members she hasn’t worked with before.

Holly Eidsness, board member for Mouse River Players, said children are the future of theater.

“It’s building teamwork. It’s framework for fostering a future love for the arts,” she said.

In addition to encouraging teamwork, Eidsness said there are other practical life skills that are learned from doing productions such as “Shrek Jr.,” including public speaking and accountability.

Eidsness pointed out that theater is a unique art form that encompasses all arts – language arts, visual arts, dance and music.

“There’s a place for everybody,” she said.

In addition to the students performing onstage, there also will be a group of four students who will be working behind the scenes, changing sets and handling props. Older students can take leadership in different areas of theater, such as helping younger students with hair and makeup.

Eidsness came to Mouse River Players in 1990 and is a retired teacher, so working with children comes naturally to her.

“If you learn the skill you can give back, so I’ve always been involved with children’s theater,” Eidsness said. “We all appreciate the same art. Anybody who comes in and does a show and does it with children suddenly realizes that, by golly, they’re pretty cool – but you enjoy the same things. Again, it’s the team building but you’re doing it a little bit differently.”

This is the second year of collaboration between Western Plains Children’s Choir and Mouse River Players, which grew from 21 participants last year to nearly 60 this year. The nearly sold-out shows will kick off Minot’s thriving summer theater opportunities this year.

“It’s important because there’s a lot of kids out there that would really like to give it a try. You start young and you’re a guard or a tree or whatever, but you still get to see how much fun it is and then you’ll look forward to it,” Eidsness said.