Theatre Residency

The Upper School Theatre Immersion students presented The Cradle Will Rock to the MVS community with three performances during April.

The Cradle Will Rock was developed as part of the Federal Theatre Project and first performed in New York in 1937. The performance was the culmination of a four week Intensive Theatre Immersion taught and directed by Kay Bosse, a member of the The Human Race Theatre. The Cradle Will Rock is filled with vibrant music, great characters, and a challenging script.

The students studied the Great Depression: the people, events, and productions that shaped the arts, leading up to The Federal Theatre Project and it's continuing legacy of regional theatre. The twelve students in the cast attended a Laban Movement and Voice Master Class presented by Bruce Cromer (Human Race, Playhouse in the Park), and Rocco Dal Vera (CCM), respectively. They also traveled to Chicago on a theatre exploration trip and visited the site of the Memorial Day Massacre of 1937 in front of Republic Steel.

At the height of the Federal Theatre Project activity and growth, and in the midst of the WPA's budget cuts, economic turmoil and union riots, The Cradle Will Rock was ready to open. However, this musical was closed down by the Federal Government on opening night for fear of incitement. Set in Steeltown, U.S.A., "Cradle" deals with unionism and corruption. This musical play is presented in a Brechtian presentational style and is very funny despite its important themes.

Photos - "The Cradle Will Rock"