Aspiring young thespians and actors will have their shot at enhancing their skills when the Missoula Children’s Theatre returns to Mount Airy this week.

The nation’s largest touring children’s theatre has Mount Airy on its list of more than 1,000 communities it will visit this year with 45 teams of tour actor/directors. The latest team in Mount Airy will help kids learn how to perform “Jack and the Beanstalk” during the theatre camp, which runs from July 6-11. Kids, ages 5-18, can sign up for the theatre camp at the Andy Griffith Playhouse through the Surry Arts Council for $150 or through a scholarship available from the Kester Sink Scholarship Endowment.

Children who join the week-long program will learn all aspects of theatre to put on a public performance of “Jack and the Beanstalk” at the end of the week. Auditions will take place the first day of camp, and rehearsals will then be held from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday through Friday, until the grand debut July 11 at 2 p.m. at the Playhouse. The performance is open to the community, and tickets are $5 each or free with Surry Arts Council season pass.

Based in Montana, the Missoula Children’s Theatre staff has toured extensively for more than 35 years helping children put on various plays based on classic children’s’ stories throughout the country. The way it works is that a tour team arrives in town with a set, lights, costumes, props and make-up, everything it takes to put on a play except the cast. This year’s MCT instructors are Kyra Koelling and Liz Pascoe, who will lead a week of drama, music, games and crafts because the camp includes enrichment workshops presented by the tour actor/directors. The goal of the camp is to promote creativity, social skills, goal achievement, communication skills and self-esteem .

For more information call the Surry Arts Council at 786-7998.