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Newsies Director's Letter

The Newsies Artistic Team

The themes surrounding Newsies have always felt important, but re-visiting it has reminded me just how vital it is to keep telling this story – especially now. Newsies is based on the true story of the New York City newsboys’ strike of 1899. This strike highlighted the injustices faced by young, marginalized workers, it demonstrated the power of collective action and solidarity, and it contributed to the eventual development of child labor laws. This story of hope, resilience, and fighting for what is right is a powerful reminder of the importance of standing up for social justice. Our voices and our actions hold great power – and that includes the voices of the young. 

Working with each of these students has been one of the greatest honors. To the cast – thank you for pouring your hearts into each moment of this story. Your passion is evident, your talents are unbelievable – (I mean wow!) – and most importantly, your genuine care and support for each other is a gift. I can’t thank you enough. 

This production would not have been possible without the outstanding artistic and production team I had the honor of working with, our incredibly talented and hard-working parent/guardian volunteers, our brilliant office staff, and more. You know who you are! 

Finally, thank you to my husband for being my biggest supporter and cheerleader, and to my son Arlo for being the sweetest newsie of all time.

To the King,

Jana Latchaw Milbourn

Psalm 82:3: “Defend the weak and the fatherless; uphold the cause of the poor and the oppressed.” 

Newsies is running May 22-25 at Avila’s Goppert Theater.

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