Quitman Junior High One Act Play students will be performing “To See the Stars” by Cynthia Mercati this week for district competition. They will be competing this Friday, 12/10. They have been working hard to get ready for their performance, spending most of this past Saturday in rehearsal, in addition to their regular daily rehearsals.
They will be offering a public performance on Thursday, 12/9 at 6:30 p.m. and will accept donations instead of selling tickets. They would like to encourage the public to attend the performance. Per their teacher Mr. Ballard, the audience’s input is greatly appreciated.
“To See the Stars” is a play about the “shirtwaist” industry in New York around 1909. This play is based on the actual 1909 Triangle Shirtwaist Factory strike. The girls who worked in the shirtwaist industry were usually treated very poorly, working under deplorable conditions and making barely enough money to survive on. They were often beaten into submission. In “To See the Stars,” audience members follow a group of young workers from Johannnsen’s Shirtwaist Factory as they plead to male-only unions for support in their quest for better working conditions and better lives. The help they receive from the unions is minimal, so they take it upon themselves to go on strike. This band of girls will be arrested and spend time in prison, but will keep trying until they prevail.
Quitman High School’s One Act Play troupe originally performed this play in 2012, qualifying for state finals. Please mark your calendars and plan to attend this powerful performance Thursday at 6:30 p.m.