Missoula, MT – Missoula Children’s Theater (MCT) continues to thrive thanks to a significant influx of federal funding, which supports the organization’s nationwide tours and performances for military families stationed overseas. Much of the theater’s budget is funded by grants from the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) and contracts with various military branches, including the U.S. Navy and Air Force. These resources have helped MCT reach thousands of children each year, providing them with opportunities to perform and develop confidence.
The importance of these funds cannot be overstated, as Mike Morreli, the executive director of MCT, explained. “That budget supports something like 20 tour actors, so 10 teams, and somewhere around 10 home staff. So that federal money is important to our operations and it makes it possible for us to reach thousands of kids and get them on stage,” he said.
A unique aspect of MCT’s work is its partnership with the military. Morreli shared how a significant portion of their budget comes from contracts with military branches, which allows the theater to send actors and staff to perform for service members and their families across the globe. For Morreli, this connection holds personal meaning. He recalled how his daughter, who lived in Germany due to her mother and stepfather’s work with the Department of Defense, was introduced to MCT when she was a child. As a newcomer in an unfamiliar country, his daughter found friendship and a sense of belonging through theater.
“We’re doing this for the kids of the families that are there in those bases,” Morreli explained. “My daughter was one of those kids that didn’t know anybody, didn’t know anything about the place, had moved from Laramie, Wyoming. And all of a sudden she gets in a show and she knows people and she has friends and she can eat lunch with somebody. And, it was magical and it was life-changing.”
Despite the current security of federal funds, MCT acknowledges the uncertain future of government support, with federal funding discussions ongoing across multiple sectors. While there is still some anxiety regarding future budgets, MCT is proceeding with their operations as planned, hopeful that their contributions to children’s development and the arts community will continue to be recognized.
Morreli remained optimistic about the theater’s value, citing both the military’s recognition of MCT’s importance and the NEA’s ongoing support. “We know that we’re serving children and making life better for all kids,” he said. “That’s a pretty good thing. And so I think that our value is recognized by the military. I think our value is recognized by the NEA, National Endowment for the Arts.”
However, even with this optimism, the theater is aware of the significant impact that any potential loss of federal funding could have. Morreli stressed that a cut in funding would affect not only the children who benefit from MCT’s programs but also their families and the communities that support them.
“We’re not in the business of making stars. We’re in the business of giving students an opportunity to get better,” he said. “And so losing that would be very painful for all those kids. And then also for the families, if seven or eight family members come to see every child, you’re talking about something like 35,000 to 50,000 people that wouldn’t see their children succeed, wouldn’t see their children grow in front of their eyes, wouldn’t see their children create these new relationships with probably this old friend group in most cases and be seen in a different way. And we have so many stories of what it means to the parents, so many stories of what it means to the family members to see that child blossom. And that would be a devastating loss.”
As MCT continues its mission to bring theater and confidence-building experiences to children, it is clear that the federal funds supporting the organization are not just a financial resource—they are a lifeline to countless families who rely on MCT’s programs to provide their children with a sense of community, achievement, and self-discovery.
