The arc of Newsies’ action seems less like it’s building to one climactic moment and more like one step forward and two steps back for the newsies. This pattern is a series of highly tense and excitable moments (usually resulting in one of the show’s many anthemic production numbers) that simply result in more and more failure of our protagonist and newsie pals. But the moment this all changes is late in the play when Jack stumbles upon an unused printing press. It’s an accident. And I couldn’t escape the awareness that no matter what tactics the newsies employed—from staging strikes, to fighting corrupt cops, to getting an article written by Pulitzer’s daughter, to mobilizing the newsies in all five boroughs—none of their efforts made a difference. That is, until they had access to a printing press of their own. ‘Access’ is such a powerful word, and restriction of access is often the way power structures keep a corrupt hierarchy in place. But the moment the newsies of New York get their own printing press everything opens up.
I worked with my design team and actors to find ways to point our focus toward this pivotal moment late in the second act. One of the most effective ways this manifested was with an imposing platform structure placed immovably in the center of the playing space. The theatrical space is a deep thrust with stadium style seating and this ornate steel period platform was striking, but very clearly an obstacle. The audience’s gaze couldn’t look to the other side of the stage unimpeded, the newsies had to navigate over and under, creating a movement style and texture unique to this world. In tense moments of struggle between characters, this platform stood between them and their objective constantly. Late in Act Two, a large sheet is placed over the platform and as Jack is thrown into a room and the sheet gets stripped, the platform is transformed to a printing press. Finally, this imposing structure is no longer liminal space and becomes a concrete part of Jack’s world. Later, Greek chorus-like newsies manually attach and manipulate gears and machinery onto the platform and add lights and steam and the magic is complete: this platform has been the key all along.