SIDE SHOWS The Missoula Oblongata has smaller-scale productions, too. These productions are written and built specifically to be performed in spaces that are too small for our mainstage shows. This allows us to bring our visually and intellectually ambitious work to an even greater variety of spaces, while maintaining the theatrical inventiveness and experimental extravagance we’ve become known for.

So far, we have produced two of these. The first was called The Ghost Wedding of Arle Redfern. It is set during The American Civil War and deals with falconry and flour. We have recently retired this play, as it requires us to cook a four-course meal for the entire audience. While that was fun for a while, it didn’t have the staying power of not cooking a four-course meal for the entire audience.

Our most recent small-scale production is The Moon, The Raccoon, The Hot Air Balloon. This is an hour-long play that takes place at the World’s Fair, where a captive raccoon, her trainer, and an allegedly Panamanian magician invent palindromes, cast spells, and hatch an unlikely and spectacular escape plan which the audience helps to execute.

In keeping with the company’s signature aesthetic, the entire set and lighting rig for “The Moon, The Raccoon, The Hot Air Balloon” is homemade and operated by the performers. We bring the stage with us, in the guise of a large red table, rigged with all sorts of gadgets and surprises. It’s only 6’ x 6’, which means that the play is ideal for traditional theaters, classrooms, and even living rooms.