MLC’s Cedar class plays explore immigration growing the country – to Great Depression migrants on the move
Mountain Lake Christian’s (MLC) Cedar class (grades five and six) of teacher Karin Stoesz recently completed an American history curriculum on the arrival of people seeking a better life on this country’s shores, helping to grow the country – as well as the movement of residents in the country, heading westward or to other parts of the nation during the Great Depression and the Dust Bowl days seeking work of any type.
To complete what they had learned, the students from the class presented two plays at the school on Thursday morning, April 30, at the school. The first play was Immigration – For a Better Life, by Harriet Isecke, and the second production was The Great Depression: A Migrant Mother’s Story, by Dorothy Alexander Sugarman.
The first play, Harriet Isecke’s Immigration – For a Better Life, follows the struggles, hardships and tragedies of two immigrant families – an Italian Catholic family and a Russian Jewish family – from their arrival at Ellis Island (under the watchful eye of the Statue of Liberty) in 1914 until they become United States citizens five years later in 1919.
Cast members included:
* Carmelia – Kate Janzen (fifth grade).
* Angela – Riley Schroeder (fifth grade).
* Mario – Drayton Klassen (fifth grade).
* Sara Ruben – Elizabeth Linscheid (sixth grade).
* Aaron Ruben – Miriam Rete (fifth grade).
* Joshua Ruben – Jack Lepp (sixth grade).
Set design was by MLC.
Props were provided by Kate Janzen, Miriam Rete, Riley Schroeder and Drayton Klassen.
Set furniture was from MLC, Riley Schroeder, Kate Janzen and Miriam Rete.
Costumes provided by MLC, Kate Janzen, Riley Schroeder and Drayton Klassen.
Below is a photo gallery from the production:
THE RUBEN FAMILY made the decision to seek out a new life in America in 1914. That meant a long, arduous – and dangerous – crossing aboard ship across the Atlantic Ocean. For those with less money to their names, that meant bunking in the storage area at bottom or the ship’s hull. Diseases were rampant among the tightly-packed travelers. Above, Sara Ruben (Elizabeth Linscheid), kneeling center, checks on her son Joshua Ruben’s (Jack Lepp), left raging fever. At right is Sara’s husband and Joshua’s father, Aaron Ruben (Miriam Rete).
A SECOND FAMILY aboard ship, also heading to America seeking a new and better life were Carmella (Kate Janzen), left and her children, Angela (Riley Schroeder), center and Mario (Drayton Klassen), right, along with the infant in Angela’s arms. Carmella’s husband, and the children’s father, was already settled in America – in New York City – working as a carpenter.
ON ARRIVAL AT Ellis Island, health checks were of utmost importance; passing the check meant being allowed entry into their new country. Above, the doctor (Miriam Rete) exams Angela (Riley Schroeder), checking her mouth, eyes and ears – as well as looking for lice on her head.
JOSHUA RUBEN (JACK Lepp), left and Mario (Drayton Klassen), right, bonded as friends onboard ship, at Ellis Island awaiting entry and as neighbors in the rows of tenement houses in New York City.
DEPLORABLE LIVING CONDITIONS were a health hazard for new immigrants to the United States, taking the life of the baby of the family due to cholera. Mourning the situation were, from left, Angela (Riley Schroeder), the mother of the family, Carmella) Kate Janzen, center and Mario (Drayton Klassen), right. More hard times befell the family as their husband and father suffered an on-the-job injury, which meant he could not work – and could not bring home the much-needed paycheck to survive.
JOSHUA RUBEN (JACK Lepp), right, hears about his friend’s family’s difficulties, and enlists help from his mother, Sara Ruben (Elizabeth Linscheid), left and his father, Aaron Ruben (Miriam Rete), center to give them a hand up.
WORKING TOGETHER, THE two families enjoyed a successful five years in America – and celebrated by becoming official United States citizens. Proudly waving American flags at the naturalization ceremonies are, from left, Joshua Ruben (Jack Lepp), left, Angela (Riley Schroeder), center and Mario (Drayton Klassen), right.
In the second play, Dorothy Alexander Sugarman’s The Great Depression: A Migrant Mother’s Story, Florence Owens’ grandson, Joshua Owens, finds the famous photograph of his grandmother taken by Dorthea Lange when she was a migrant worker during the Great Depression and after the Dust Bowl (see photo at right). Joshua and his father, Leroy Owens, coax Florence to give her side of the story to Bill Ganzel who is writing a book about the lives of people during the Great Depression.
Cast members were:
* Florence Owens – Zoey Smith (sixth grade).
* Joshua Owens – Seth Klassen (sixth grade).
* Leroy Owens – Eli Johnson (fifth grade).
* Bill Ganzel – Ian Penner (fifth grade).
* Dorthea Lange – Sara Quiring (sixth grade).
* Isaac Wilkes – Mark Quiring (fifth grade).
Set design was by Eli Johnson.
Props were provided by Seth Klassen and Ian Penner.
Set furniture was from MLC.
Below is a photo gallery from the production:
JOSHUA OWENS (SETH Klassen), left, discovers the old newspaper featuring a photo taken of his grandmother, Florence Owens (Zoey Smith), right, during the Great Depression. Behind is Joshua’s father and Florence’s son – who was also in some of the photographs as a young boy – Leroy Owens (Eli Johnson), standing center. Florence shares her story, but is saddened that the family still had to struggle so hard to get by when the photographer, she believed, made money on the stark black-and-white photos.
AFTER JOSHUA OWENS and Leroy Owens wrote a letter to their local newspaper about Florence Owens’ story, and they shared an article on those memories, Bill Ganzel (Ian Penner) contacts them. Ganzel was researching and preparing to write a book about the lives of people during the Great Depression.
BILL GANZEL THEN gets in touch with the photographer, Dorthea Lange (Sara Quiring), left and her boss, Isaac Wilkes (Mark Quiring), right, and tells them of Florence’s story – and her sad lament about those days of her life. Dorthea reveals that she did not make any money on the photographs – other than her salary working for the United States government chronicling the desperation of families during the Great Depression. Wilkes was able to back up her story.
BILL GANZEL PULLS in both parties – and both sides – in order to solve the conflict and share the “whole story” to each party’s satisfaction. From left, Isaac Wilkes (Mark Quiring), Dorthea Lange (Sara Quiring), Bill Ganzel (Ian Penner), Leroy Owens (Eli Johnson), Joshua Owens (Seth Klassen) and Florence Owens (Zoey Smith).
YEARS LATER, WITH Florence Owens now a resident of a nursing home, but struggling to afford the care, Leroy Owens and Joshua Owens take to the newspaper once again to share the “rest of Florence’s story” – and donations for Florence’s care rolled in. From left, Joshua Owens (Seth Klassen), Florence Owens (Zoey Smith) and Leroy Owens (Eli Johnson), right.
The first play, Harriet Isecke’s Immigration – For a Better Life, follows the struggles, hardships and tragedies of two immigrant families – an Italian Catholic family and a Russian Jewish family – from their arrival at Ellis Island (under the watchful eye of the Statue of Liberty) in 1914 until they become United States citizens five years later in 1919.
In the second play, Dorothy Alexander Sugarman’s The Great Depression: A Migrant Mother’s Story, Florence Owens’ grandson, Joshua Owens, finds the famous photograph of his grandmother taken by Dorthea Lange when she was a migrant worker during the Great Depression and after the Dust Bowl (see photo at right). Joshua and his father, Leroy Owens, coax Florence to give her side of the story to Bill Ganzel who is writing a book about the lives of people during the Great Depression.
