The Drama Department at Genesee Valley Central School will
present the Broadway musical Newsies on Friday January 24 at 7:00 p.m. and
Saturday, January 25 at 2:00 p.m. in the school auditorium.
Directed by Donna Slawson and Lindsay Simpson, Newsies tells
the true story of how kids from New York City changed the world by “carrying
the banner” and standing up for their rights as newspaper boys in the 1890s.
"I decided to direct this production after taking a
group of 8th graders to see Newsies last year,” said co-director Donna
Slawson. “The students expressed sincere
interest and excitement to bring this musical back to GV. Our students have
taken on roles of responsibility, learned new dances, sung for the first time,
and pushed outside of their comfort zones to put on an amazing
performance."
The production of Newsies has also provided an opportunity
for teachers to incorporate Genesee Valley’s emphasis on STEAM education
(Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, Mathematics).
According to Mark Levine, Technology Teacher, “one of the
most common questions asked by students in nearly any subject is, ‘When am I
going to use this?’ The focus of STEAM education at Genesee Valley is doing
‘real’ things, connecting learning to practical applications that matter to
students.”
In Levine’s Design for Entertainment class students
researched the necessary environment for the musical, decided upon the design
direction and built scene props to create the illusion of New York City in
1899. Levine’s STEAM elective class built the sets for Newsies based on designs
set forth by the Design for Entertainment class.
Other classes were involved in various aspects of the
production, as well. The curriculum of Slawson’s STEAM8 class covered the
Industrial Revolution and child labor, providing another opportunity for
real-world application and cross-curricular learning opportunities.
“Newsies became the perfect occasion to highlight how the
arts can be the driving force behind our learning,” said Lindsay Simpson,
co-director of the show. “While the audience will be blown away by the talent
onstage, they will also see how the intersection of classes and subjects from
across disciplines all came together to create an unforgettable
experience.”
Originally released in 1992 as a Disney film, Newsies was
adapted for the stage in 2011 enjoying a successful run on Broadway followed by
a national tour. The cast of Genesee Valley’s production includes 56
individuals representing grades 4-12, in addition to some Genesee Valley staff
members.
The production of Newsies is free and open to the public.
