Newsboys Strike of 1889 Background: Pulitzer and Hearst raised the price of newspapers by 10 cents per bundle, which was a lot at the time. The news boys conducted a strike for three days. The other newspapers had a blast reporting on this. Pulitzer and Hearst did not back down, but said "we'll pay for your unsold papers if you come back at the same price." The news boys agreed, and went back to work. Journal: Was this a happy ending for the strikers? Why or why not?
Corporate Power Journal entry: Talk about corporate power in today's society - what are some ways in which companies exert influence over people? What are some ways that people can exert power over companies?
Musical Theatre Class Discussion: Discuss how musical theatre has served as a platform for many civil rights issues, like LGBT issues, race, gender bias, class discrimination. (My Fair Lady, Hairspray, Avenue Q, Billy Elliot)
Time Period Research Project: Have students create newspapers with accurate headlines appropriate to this time period. Then use them as props for the performance! Discuss Spanish-American War. It was a war. Between Spain and America. What else?
News Delivery Journal Entry: How has the way we get news changed over time? Compare and contrast today's blogs, web forums, and social media with old-school newspaper writing.
Live vs Film Think-Pair-Share: Compare and contrast the setting of live vs film musicals. What sorts of changes have to be made to transition a show from one to the other?
Meaning/Heart What is the meaning or heart of this piece? What are some values this piece conveys? What is the meaning of the title, "Seize the Day," in the context of the show/time period? How else might it be interpreted?