80
D I S T I N C T LY M O N TA N A M A G A Z I N E
•
FA L L 2 0 2 3
"New writing has always been important," Pyette says, "we've
always stressed that. And we're going more and more in that di-
rection because let's be honest, for a playwright, it's hard to find
those opportunities."
"For example," Olson says, "The Harvest [which Pyette wrote]
is a universal story, but it's set in northern Montana and so you
get some of those moments that are pure Havre, pure Hill Coun-
ty and Blaine County. It's nice to have those stories told."
This coming year three productions will be new writing: Py-
ette's comedy, The Queen of Hill County, a Christmas panto by
Caroline Tuss, and an adaptation of Moliere's The Imaginary In-
valid, by longtime MAT actor Martin Holt.
But it's not just adults MAT appeals to. KIDSMAT is the im-
mensely popular series of summer youth camps they run. Casey
Pratt's wife, Angela, is the youth activities director. "It's always
been a thing," she says, "to bring up that next generation and
pass on that love of theatre because it gives them skills, it gives
coping skills, it gives social skills, all these things."
"Theatre gets in your blood," Angela Pratt says. "We've seen
it change people, help people. I've seen it change students. We
had a nonverbal, autistic boy who as a freshman in high school
stood by the curtain and said nothing and is now a young man
and an amazing actor."
"What's fun," says Pyette, "is you see parents bring their kids
Spongebob Squarepants The Play Goes Wrong
