Crystal Theatre to host youth workshop, The Frog Prince performances

Crystal Theatre in Crystal Falls is giving Iron County families a free summer arts option that runs straight through the first week of June: a five-day Missoula Children’s Theatre workshop for students who have completed grades 1 through 12, ending with two performances of The Frog Prince.

The workshop will run Monday, June 8 through Friday, June 12, with in-person registration and casting beginning at 10 a.m. Monday in Stage Left. Rehearsals will be held daily from 10 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., and participants are asked to bring their own lunch. The production will be staged Friday, June 12 at 7 p.m. and Saturday, June 13 at 2 p.m.

For families balancing work, vacations and the start of summer break, the appeal is simple: the program is free, local and open to a wide age range. A regional event listing says the production will need about 50 to 60 students, giving young people a chance to do more than watch from the audience. Over five days, they will learn acting, memorization, movement and teamwork, then carry those skills onto the stage in a full production.

The Crystal Theatre is at 304 Superior Ave. in Crystal Falls, and its office hours are Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to noon. The theater describes volunteers as “the lifeblood” of the organization and says it is always seeking help, underscoring how much of the venue’s work depends on community participation behind the scenes as well as on stage.

Missoula Children’s Theatre brings a large-scale touring model to that local setting. The group says it is the nation’s largest touring children’s theatre, has toured for more than 40 years and will visit nearly 1,200 communities this year with up to 44 touring teams. It brings everything needed for a production except the cast, which makes the Crystal Falls workshop a self-contained chance for local children to step into a professional-style process without leaving Iron County.

The Frog Prince also fits into a pattern that families may already recognize. Crystal Theatre hosted another Missoula Children’s Theatre workshop in 2025 with Red Riding Hood, using the same five-day format and two-show schedule. With the new production now set for June, the theatre is turning its historic stage into a short-term training ground and a weekend destination for parents, grandparents and neighbors across the county.