Who's Who in the Cast & Crew: Spotlight on Lenar Jones

Lenar Jones, 18
Coalhouses Follower/Black Lawyer/People of Harlem/Haitian immigrant

• What does Ragtime mean to you?
  Change and finding the American Dream
• Which character do you most identify with?
  The character I most Identify with would probably be younger brother because he stands up for what's right.
• Why should today's audience watch Ragtime?
  Today's audience should watch Ragtime because, to me, this show has a great message and shows what people had to go through in that time. And also, the music in this show is amazing :)
• What do you want the audience to walk away with?
  I just want the audience to be moved by this musical and hopefully get a better understanding of what happened during that time.

Atlantic City

Here's some basic image research inspired by this evening's rehearsal. The following images are shots of Atlantic City, NJ from 1900-1907. The boardwalk was immensely popular for both locals and tourists, for business and pleasure. A great contemporary resource for a (fairly historically accurate) take on Atlantic City is HBO's Boardwalk Empire.  It's set in the roaring twenties, so it's about fifteen years later than the setting of our play, but aesthetically, it's quite impressive so check it out if you can!

Picture of the Day: WHAT A GAME!

Who's Who in the Cast & Crew: Spotlight on Donovan Mendelovitz

Donovan Mendelovitz, 18

Father, Harry Houdini

• In one word, what does Ragtime mean to you?
  Acceptance
  
• Which character do you most identify with? Why?
  I identify most with Younger Brother. He is an extremely passionate person (as are all of the characters in the story), but he feels empty without something to "live for." I know that without something to put all my positive energy towards, life is not worth experiencing.
  
• Why is Ragtime relevant to today?
  Ragtime is relevant in the sense that it teaches us to learn from our country's history. We must learn to continue accepting those who are different and not discriminate. Whether it's religion, race, beliefs, sexuality, social status, etc., we can never stop accepting that others are different. It has makes me think about how grateful I am to live in a world where we now can live in harmony with people of all sorts, and I believe that audiences can learn a great deal about that from this powerful show.
  
• What do you want the audience to take away from the musical?
  I want the audience to truly take in the story and how incredible it is. But I really want audiences to really internalize the music. In my opinion, Ragtime has one of the most epic scores in all musical theatre history, and I hope audiences can appreciate that as much as the cast does.

Photo of the Day: Charlie's Angels?

Recording: "The Night that Goldman Spoke at Union Square"

Who's Who in the Cast & Crew: Spotlight on Gabriella Certo

Gabriella Certo, 15
Emma Goldman

• Which character do you most identify with? Why?
  I most identify with Emma Goldman, actually. She is a leader and a fighter. I'm not as much of a fighter but I am passionate about what I believe in and I will fight for what I think is right.
   
• Why is Ragtime relevant today?
  In Ragtime, there is a lot of discrimination and racism. Although we, as a society, have become a much more open minded world, there are still many stereotypes and quite a lot of frowning upon people who are different, physically or emotionally.
   
• Why should today's audience watch Ragtime?
  Today's audience should watch this musical and learn how hurt people can be by the simplest form of discrimination. They should also see how change can be a good thing. We are all afraid of change but it can lead to better things and we should be open to it because it's inevitable.
   
• What do you want the audience to take away from the musical?
  I want the audience to leave the show with a feeling of being open minded and thinking twice before they say something insulting or before they make fun of someone for being different then everyone else. I want them to treat people as equals.