‘Wendy’s Girl’, Cullman native Morgan Smith returning home for Missoula Theatre

Published 9:09 am Sunday, January 19, 2014

When Morgan Smith was only about 11 or 12 years old, long before becoming a professional stage and screen actress, she was a fisherman, a citizen of Hamelin, and a ‘Foxey’ friend of Snow White.

She was a cast member of the Missoula Children’s Theatre for three years.

She remembers well the lessons she learned while working with the Missoula Children’s Theatre. “At that age (sixth and seventh grade) the experience was incredible,” Smith recalled in a phone interview Friday with The Times. “It was amazing that those professionals could come into town and do auditions on Monday and have us ready for a show by Saturday.”

She credits her experience with the Missoula Children’s Theatre as giving her a background in memorization and the spirit of collaboration at an early age. “The Missoula Theatre still gives our community a true testament of the importance of an education in the arts. It instills valuable life skills like self-confidence and self-expression, which people can use for the rest of their lives. This is even more important at a time when many schools are cutting back on classes in the arts.”

A native of Cullman, Smith, who is now a familiar face on television as the Wendy’s Girl, will be speaking to cast members before the upcoming Missoula Theatre production of Rapunzel. She will be staying afterward for a Meet and Greet with patrons of the theatre.    

The Missoula Children’s Theater will be in Cullman with auditions Monday at 3:30 p.m. at the Cullman Civic Center for Rapunzel. Auditions are open for ages 5-18, with performances Saturday at the civic center.  

As a professional actress, Smith said she is excited to talk to the local performers before their show on Saturday and be on hand for both performances at 2 p.m. and 6 p.m.

Smith will sign autographs at both showings of Rapunzel.

For more information on the Missoula Children’s Theater auditions or performances, call the Cullman Civic Center at 256-734-9157.

 Click here for audition info.