MCT Performances
Paramount Theatre
125 4th Ave NE
Austin, MN

MCT Mailing Address
P.O. Box 576
Austin, MN 55912

MCT Office
328 North Main Street
Austin, MN 55912
Monday 6 PM - 7:30 PM
Thursday 6 PM - 7:30 PM
(closed summers)

MCT Contact Info
(507) 437-9078
info@matchboxchildrenstheatre.org

Mission Statement

The primary purpose of Matchbox Children's Theatre is to produce creative, professional quality children's theatre on a consistent basis. We believe a positive live theatre experience stimulates the imagination and creativity of young people. We strive to produce well rounded shows excelling in all aspects; script choice, direction, technical design and execution, costuming, make-up, and the use of music. Our primary focus is theatre "for" children, rather then "by" children. We do cast children when appropriate roles are available. This gives young performers an opportunity to perform in front of an audience, gain poise and self confidence, and learn from older, more experienced actors.

We enhance the experience for our audiences by providing the chance for them to interact with the actors following the play. We feel this is especially meaningful because it establishes a clear definition between the character and the actor, between pretend and reality. The children can see that the scary witch, terrible troll, or mighty king are only real people. It gives curious play-goers the chance to touch intriguing costumes, see the friendly face under the make-up, and ask questions.

We strongly believe consistency in attending and enjoying MCT will develop an on going desire to include live theatre in leisure time activities throughout their lives. Careful consideration goes into the planning of our season so we will offer shows that appeal to a wide age range. Our goal is for the very young children to enjoy the performances as much as the older ones. We encourage families to share Matchbox plays together. Frequently we hear comments that adults enjoy the plays as much as the children, and sometimes even more then they do. Often the introduction, or reintroduction of theatre to adults stimulates them to develop a continuing interest in theatre for themselves.

Whether the children or adults in our audiences choose to watch our plays or to become actively involved in the productions, a key purpose of Matchbox Children's Theatre is to create a positive environment for many people to experience live theatre.