The first quarter of the school year is rapidly coming to a close, and with it, the pay-off of many students’ work, as practices across the activities line-up begin to become main events. On October 30, 2025, the musical, Newsies, will have its opening show in the auditorium at Lincoln East High School.
Newsies is a musical set on the brink of the 20th century, centering the lives of New York newsboys, that is, orphaned, homeless, young boys and men who sell newspapers for a living. Joseph Pulitzer, running the biggest newspaper at the time, decides to raise the prices of the papers, which puts a strain on the newsboys and makes it more difficult for them to make a living. This results in the newsboys going on strike in retaliation.
“These kids, they’re forming a union to go on strike, because they believe that they deserve equal treatment to everybody else,” said Braelyn Jurgenmeier, who plays Katherine Plumber. “Even though everybody tries to discourage them, they try to fight. It shows that even if it’s difficult, you should try.”
Coming off of several years of increased labour awareness and advocation, Newsies has coincidentally arrived right on time to strike conversation and spark curiosity. According to the Bureau of Labour Statistics, over 270,000 workers reportedly went on strike in 2024, following a massive year of labour strikes in 2023. Workers and labour unions use work stoppages, known as strikes, as a negotiation tactic against their employers to gain fairer working conditions.
Fortunately, high school students in America today are putting on musicals about the triumph of labour unions, rather than being forced to fight for essential rights within them. However, the work that students are giving to the musical, voluntary as it is, is still commendable.
As theatre productions are incredibly hands-on projects, they take the work of not only the cast and ensemble, but dozens of students working behind the scenes as well. Involved students dedicate hours after school almost every night of the week in order to put on the best performance that they can once opening weekend comes around.
“I am there for every rehearsal besides personal practices and music,” said Adison Harris, the student stage manager of Newsies. “I’m here until six o’clock almost every night. It’s still super fun to produce, and I am there because I want to be a part of it.”
Newsies characters often refer to themselves as “kids,” not only in direct reference to the age of many of the newsies who actually went on strike during America’s Gilded Age, but also to promote a sense of togetherness against “old man Pulitzer,” and the bosses who think that they have more power than their workers. Newsies, as with all theatre productions, is a labour of love. As we approach its performance, we must appreciate the effort that our students and classmates give to it and the great work that kids have given for the sake of themselves and others throughout history.
