BRHS musical ‘Newsies’ coming in May
Boothbay Region High School students will perform the musical “Newsies” on Friday, May 6 at 6 p.m. and Saturday, May 7 at 1 and 4 p.m. The musical is based on a real story, set in New York City in1899, about a group of Newsies, children who sell and deliver newspapers. When the publisher sets new rules that make it harder for Newsies to earn their wages, the boys go on strike and form a union.
Mary Miller, music teacher at BRHS, chose this play due to its limited number of parts, allowing a small school like BRHS to fully encapsulate its story without leaving any necessary component out. Miller said, “We need to find the kind of balance that allows people to be a part of it but not overwhelm them.”
Another reason for choosing “Newsies” is the underlying message. Miller said, “It’s all about young people being able to create change. The story takes place in the days where some of the kids working were 8, 10 years old. The play holds a lot of meaning when you see these high school kids reflect that age group and portray actual historical events.”
Senior Emerson Harris, 17, has participated in theater since she was 5, and is playing a lead character, Katherine, an upcoming writer for the newspaper determined to cover the Newsies’ strike. Harris is one of the only female actresses playing a female character. Harris said another theme of the play she finds important is its emphasis on child labor. “Obviously, child labor laws have come a long way. So like directly, I think we’ve made a lot of progress. But we can see in many other countries and still in the U.S. that children are working in sweatshops and paid unfairly.” She said the message of the play transcends time. She noted striking and protesting continue to make effective change. “Newsies has a broader meaning for every child worker, they’re going against their bosses and adults as equals, they want to be viewed as valuable members of the organization.”
Harris said she also finds courage and inspiration from what her character represents. Katherine is a female writer when reporters were generally men. In the musical, Katherine faces prejudice but despite showing moments of vulnerability and nervousness, displays confidence in her efforts to get a big scoop. “In my solo song, ‘Watch What Happens,’ Katherine says, ‘But all I know is nothing happens if you just give in, it can't be any worse than how it's been, And it just so happens that we just might win, so whatever happens, let's begin!’ She’s not afraid to stand up and be a little sassy to the Newsies. So I think that’s an important lesson for me going forward, especially when stepping into college and the career world.”
Freshman Spencer Pottle, 15, has also done theater since he was young. He plays the main lead, Jack Kelly, one of the Newsies. Jack faces a dilemma between pursuing his dreams of escaping New York City to Santa Fe, believing the move will give him freedom and allow him to ‘feel the wind,’ or stay behind to support the Newsies. Pottle said, “Eventually he stays in New York and because he has developed such a strong family with the other Newsies, he can find freedom within those connections. I definitely feel connected to Jack because I know my family unit, my community. But as I’m growing up, I’m also questioning, ‘Where am I going to go?’ ‘What is going to make me happy?’ Jack is striving to be free and I’m also trying to do that. Just like him, I’m trying to figure out how I’m going to live a nice, happy life.”
Cast and crew
Jack Kelly: Spencer Pottle; Crutchie: Skyla Carrier; Katherine: Emerson Harris; Snyder: Dennis Dacus (BRHS faculty); Weisel: Matthias Fanslau; Les: Jayden Coulombe; Davey: Grace Campbell; Mr. Pulitzer: Garrett Carter (BRHS alumnus); Hannah: Paulette Carter (Former BRHS faculty); Medda Larkin: Karol Clarke (BRHS retired faculty); Olive: Hannah Hills; Pat: Kadon Moser; Newspaper Buyer: Suzy Taylor (BRHS faculty); Specs: Deanna Main; Buttons: Chloe Joneth; Race: Ivory Cody. Brooklyn Newsies: Spot Conlon: Kaden Moser; Tommy Boy: Hannah Hills; Jo Jo: Suzie Edwards; Dorothy: Chloe Joneth; Governor Roosevelt: Chip Schwehm (BRHS faculty). Lights: Rachel Barter and Emery Lorrain; curtain: Marissa Davison; director: Mary Miller (BRHS faculty); set director: Suzy Taylor; and costumes: Paulette Carter.
