For decades the Missoula Children’s Theatre has traveled the country and the world, bringing theater productions to children from Spokane to Bangladesh. The troupe typically spends a week in each community, getting local children on stage performing everything from Robin Hood to Peter Pan.

“We produce a full-scale musical in one week from audition to performance,” said public relations director Terri Elander.

That model has changed drastically under the restrictions imposed by the coronavirus pandemic.

Education director Matt Loehrke was searching for ways to continue the mission of the Missoula Children’s Theatre without leaving his living room. “We knew our tour was coming home,” he said. “We knew our building would be shuttered.”

After all, you can’t bring theater productions to the community via Zoom. But Loehrke had the idea to create what they are calling Playdate, fully downloadable scripts, set and prop suggestions, director tips and song and dance numbers, everything a quarantined family needs to put on its own 15-minute play. A new one launches each Monday.

“We agreed to do it on a Wednesday and had things ready to go on Monday,” he said. “It was kind of nice and exciting to tackle something new.”

Staff members work from home to put together the videos that are part of each week’s download. “We weren’t really set up to do a lot of video stuff, so that was a learning curve,” he said.

The first session was offered on March 23 and 300 people downloaded that week’s package. “I was just hoping 50 would download it the first week,” he said.

Since then the download numbers have ranged from 100 to 150 a week and it’s not a local phenomenon. It’s being downloaded by people from Missoula to Argentina. Loehrke said theaters across the country have been downloading it and then passing it along to people in their community. That’s just what they want to see happen, he said.

“We intended it to be simple and free and easy,” he said. “We’re hoping there’s a ripple effect.”

The best part is that people can use just part of materials if they want. He said he’s heard from people who are just learning the song and dance piece or doing a simplified version of the performance. “If you want to do a full 15-minute production, go nuts,” he said. “These materials are there to use as they see fit.”

People who want to receive the download should visit mctinc.org and click on the Playdate tab. From there they enter their name and email address and are then sent the login and password they need to access the material. It’s free, though there is a donation link for anyone who want to support the theater.

Different parts of the performance are posted Monday through Friday. People get the script, sheet music and performance tracks on Monday. On Tuesdays the choreography and directing prompts are posted. Every Wednesday a costume presentation is live streamed at 11 a.m. Pacific with the link posted later. The set presentation is live streamed on Thursdays at 11 a.m. On Fridays, former tour actors and directors will be featured in videos discussing their experiences with that week’s play.

The goal is to release a little at a time so people don’t get overwhelmed, Loehrke said. The weeklong schedule is also meant to recreate the week the theater usually spends putting on a production.

One of the first people to download a Playdate the first week was Gonzaga Prep senior Mary Browne. She started performing in Missoula Children’s Theatre when she was in first grade and continued through all the years she attended Assumption Parish School.

The play she performed in that first year was “Robin Hood,” where she played the skunk. “MCT has roles for a variety of ages,” she said.

Her early experiences with MCT created a spark in Browne. “That opened my mind to loving theater,” she said.

All through high school she would return to Assumption Parish School when MCT visited to be the piano accompanist. It was a role she was supposed to do again this spring. When she heard about the weekly Playdate program, she was eager to get on board. It was fitting that the first download was Robin Hood.

“It was really cool that it was the first show because I got to relive my memories,” she said. “It was a lot of fun.”

She’s been downloading the weekly Playdate program ever since. “The Playdate program is keeping us all connected, so I think that’s really special,” she said. “It’s so cool that they are thinking of ways to reach out to us in the community in this crazy time.”

The plays will continue for four more weeks. In addition to “Robin Hood,” the featured plays have included “The Jungle Book,” “Johnny Appleseed” and “Peter and Wendy.” What’s coming up next is closely guarded. “We do keep that a little secret,” Loehrke said.

The Playdates are the best way for the theater to remain involved in the community, Loehrke said. “It’s doing what we do best, providing materials for children to perform,” he said. “The biggest goal is keeping us in people’s minds. We will be touring again.”

Touring is what the theater company has been doing for nearly all of its 50 years, Elander said. “We are not shuttered forever,” she said. “This is a pause.”