Contributed by Nan Potts
“Extra! Extra! Read all about it!” a Newsie cries. Selling “papes” is what a Newsie does. The time, summer 1899. The place, downtown New York City. With the end of the Spanish-American War, sensational headlines are infrequent and newspaper circulations are spiraling downward. William Randolph Hearst and Joseph Pulitzer, creators and owners of large newspapers, the New York World and the New York Journal, are conspiring to change that direction. They’ve conceived a plan to recover their losses by increasing the wholesale price of the Newsies’ papers without increasing the cost to the customer. The difference of ten cents per hundred papers makes a huge difference to these young free-agents. Now, the line is drawn. “Roll back the price increase or we strike!” Newsies demand, and “Strike! Strike! Strike! Strike!” becomes their new cry.
The life of a Newsie is filled with hardships and peril. Many boys (and girls) from poor immigrant families or orphaned, struggle to survive in this thriving, turn of the century New York City, where labor conditions are extremely harsh and dangerous for both adults and children. In many cases, they literally risk life and limb to eke out a living or to help feed their families. While some Newsies sleep on the streets and others in tenement housing, school and family life are almost nullified in order to make ends meet. Reformers know something needs to change. But how? The situation worsens.
On July 19, 1899, the downtown New York City newsboys announce their strike. Word is sent to other parts of the city, “No newsboy [or girl] was to sell the Journal or World until their demands were met.” Rival newspapers reveled in the boycott and compared the Newsies’ strike to the story of David and Goliath. The battle begins.
Director Rodger Sorensen is excited to work with this local cast and crew. His exuberance and boundless energy is contagious, “With the music and choreography, it’s a great way to tell the story of the underdog; a David and Goliath story. It’s a story we all can relate to. When the Goliaths [Hearst and Pulitzer] take advantage of the Newsies and abuse that relationship even more, they bring about a strike. A strike that, historically, not only benefited the Newsies, but all of the other children who were used in the various machinery of New York City to provide labor. They didn’t need to be schooled, they just had to work.”
From historical records, most Newsies sold their “papes” after school. However, there was a percentage who dropped out to earn money. No matter how hard a Newsie worked, getting out of poverty was nearly impossible. Then, along comes young Kid Blink (Jack Kelly, in Disney’s production), a young boy to organize and lead the Newsies in their strike. With handbills stating, “Help us in our struggle to get fair pay, by not buying the Journal or the World. Help us!” The citizens of New York take note. But, not only of the Newsies’ situation but all of the children working in the factories and businesses taking advantage of them. The rest is history.
Rodger, recently retired, has over forty years of experience teaching collage theater in Utah. He first came to Alaska in the summer of 2012 to direct and assist a production for the Alaska State-wide Boy Scout Encampment. He fell in love with Alaska’s grandeur and returned in the winter of 2016 to direct Fiddler on the Roof at the Glenn Massay Theater. “I have worked on a number of stages around the United States and this is one of my favorite stages to work on,” states Rodger. “The staff at the theater are such remarkable individuals. What a collaboration it was to put on Fiddler. It’s the same thing with this one [Newsies]. I love the people and I love the state.”
A director has a personal why or take-away from every production. When asked about Newsies, Rodger responded, “On a theatrical level, we can make theater with the people, where ever we are, with people we love to work with – we just gather together and we make theater. We’re in beautiful Alaska with people, and they’re not professionals, but they love to work and work together. These people are ‘We can do it people’ and that means it’s a personal level. And what we do, will be absolutely wonderful!”
Opening night for Newsies is Friday, January 25th, 7pm at the Glenn Massy Theater. The production runs January 25th, 26th, 31st, and February 1st & 2nd, at 7pm. Matinees play Saturdays, January 26th and February 2nd at 2pm. Tickets are available online at glennmassaytheater.com.
