The Flathead Valley this year is offering an abundance of opportunities for kids and teens to experience the fun and excitement of theater, whether it be in youth-specific productions or with older co-stars.
Jen Asebrook, executive director of the Whitefish Theatre Company, encourages children of all experience levels to join a theater company, saying that acting and performing is a creative pursuit that can teach valuable skills that have benefits far beyond the stage.
“We believe that theater for kids and teens is all about teaching life skills like cooperation, teamwork, creativity, listening, sharing, learning how to be flexible, take direction and being able to stand and talk in front of other people,” Asebrook said. “Learning that you can work really hard yet have fun and produce a product that is meaningful to an audience of people leans into anything they may do in later life.”
The theater can also foster a sense of belonging and offers a place where kids finally feel comfortable being fully themselves — sometimes for the first time, Alpine Theatre Project Executive Director Cynthia Benkelman said.
“Shy kids find their voice,” Benkelman said. “High-energy kids find focus. Creative kids find their people. It’s common to hear parents say, ‘This is where my kid found their place.’”
At Whitefish Theatre Co., kids can audition and be cast in the company’s stage productions depending on what kind of shows they are planning on any given year, as opposed to regularly having youth-specific productions.
All audition information is on the company’s website with the specific ages for each role. For the annual musical, the company is always open to older teens — and sometimes middle schoolers — auditioning, Asebrook said. Teens aged 17 and older are welcome to audition on March 29 and 30 for “Little Shop of Horrors” the company is producing for May and June.
“Every year our season looks a little different, but we have found weaving kids and adults in productions creates a fun, family atmosphere and a chance for kids and teens to learn from seasoned actors,” Asebrook said.
The company also welcomes teens who are interested in learning about the technical side of theater — running lights, sound and working backstage — to sign up to run Main Stage and Staged Reading shows.
“We have several high school students who work with us right now who are mastering these skills with our training,” Asebrook said.
For kids looking to hone their skills before their opportunity to step to the main stage arises, Whitefish Theatre Co. offers a variety of summer camps, which include acting, dancing and improv classes, every year for kids in kindergarten and up. The camps will run during the weeks of July 6-10 and July 13-17. Details will be posted on the company’s website after spring break at www.whitefishtheatreco.org when they are finalized, Asebrook said.
At the Bigfork Playhouse Children’s Theatre, there are still four productions remaining in the 2025-2026 season for kids to join in on the action. These productions include performances of “The Addams Family,” the company’s spring fundraiser, “Cowabunga 2026: the Moooo-pets,” and the company’s spring concert. Roles in stage productions are given based on auditions. The next audition opportunity at the playhouse is for “The Addams Family” and will be on Feb. 17 from 4:30-6 p.m. for fifth and sixth graders, and 6-8 p.m. for seventh graders through high school seniors. The production will run March 13-14 and March 20-21, with each show starting at 7:30 p.m.
The theater also offers a variety of classes and workshops throughout the year, including musical theater summer camps and workshops, two choirs for differing age groups, a jazz band and a series of dance classes. More information can be found at www. bigforkchildrenstheatre.org/.
Also offering a slate of educational and performance opportunities is the Whitefish-based Alpine Theatre Project. Known for bringing in Broadway performers for its shows throughout the year, ATP’s kids programming looks to pass along some of that knowledge to the next generation — with some former students already paying it forward.
“Over the years, ATP has seen many students go on to college theater programs and professional careers,” Benkelman said. “Former ATP Kids now work professionally, return as interns and have been hired by ATP.”
The company runs ATP Kids programs for elementary and middle school students. These are multi-week programs where students rehearse and perform a full musical while learning the fundamentals of theater: acting, voice, movement, rehearsal discipline, and ensemble work. For older students, ATP offers ATP Teens productions, which are designed to mirror a professional rehearsal and production process. In 2026, ATP Teens will produce Beetlejuice with a Broadway choreographer working directly with the students.
ATP also hosts Broadway Summer Camp, a three-week, full-day training intensive led by about a dozen instructors from Broadway, Los Angeles and the local professional theater community. The camp culminates in a fully staged public production.
Benkelman said ATP is “deeply committed to access,” working with families to ensure no child is turned away because of financial circumstances. Information about programs, auditions, and registration can be found at atpwhitefish.org.