Jack: Alright! Alright! [after a few moments of silence, Jack weighs what he’s going to say] Pulitzer raised the price of papes without so much as a word to us, and that was a lousy thing to do. So we got mad and no, we ain’t gonna be pushed around. So, we goes on strike so Pulitzer lowers the price so’s that we’ll go back to work. [the others cheer, but Jack raises a hand to stop them.] And then… a few weeks later… he hikes his price again, and don’t think he won’t, so what do we do then? And what do we do when he decides to hike up his price again after that? Fellas, we gotta be realistic.
[the newsies are starting to get confused, waiting for him to continue and uncertain about where this is going. A few are starting to get the idea, but don’t look like they want to believe it.]
If we don’t work, we don’t get paid. [he turns to Davey, who is one of the latter newsies] How long can you go without makin’ money, huh? Believe me. However long, Pulitzer can go longer.
[Now all the newsies are starting to get agitated, glaring at Jack and talking in dark voices amongst themselves.]
But, I have spoken to Mr. Pulitzer, and he has given me his woird. If we disband the union—
[the newsies yell at him, glaring and talking over him, betrayed.]
--He will not raise prices again for two years.
[He continues talking, ignoring the others yelling over him.] Hey! I said we should take the deal!
[He yells and argues with the other newsies. Davey stares at him in shock, betrayal written across his face, hardly daring to believe it. The newsies are getting louder and louder, tension and anger building, until Spot loses it and pushes Jack halfway across the square into Snyder. Snyder slaps him some cash and Jack pushes him away, upset with himself. By the time he turns around again, all the newsies except Davey have run back to the Lodging House, shunning their leader. Jack turns to Davey, hoping to explain, but Davey gives him another betrayed look before running off.]
Davey—
[He sighs and climbs up to his penthouse, tears of frustration threatening to spill over. To his surprise and dismay, he realizes Katherine is already up here, examining a drawing Jack had stored away, trying to forget about. He growls and glares at her, wanting to be left alone.]
Katherine: [sighs] That was some speech you made.
Jack: [Angrily] How’d you get up here? [he notices the drawing in her hand and his gaze hardens]
Katherine: [staring at him, confused and a little frightened] Specs showed me…
Jack: [snatches up the cylinder container the drawing had been hidden in] Oh, he said you could go through my stuff?!
Katherine: [gesturing at the container] I saw them rolled up sticking out of there, I didn’t know what they were. [she looks back down at the drawing] These are drawings of the Refuge, aren’t they? [terrified] Is that really what it’s like in there? Three boys to a bed… rats everywhere, and vermin…?
Jack: [snatches the drawing out of her hands and aggressively rolls it up, shoving it unceremoniously back into its container] Oh, a little different from the way you were raised?
Katherine: [pauses] Snyder told my father you were arrested stealing food and clothing. [gesturing at the packed-up drawing] This is why, isn’t it?! You stole to feed those boys!
[he gives her a look]
I— I don’t understand! If you were willing to go to jail for those boys… how could you turn your back on them now?!
YOU ARE READING
Newsies: Live (2017)
Historical FictionSet in New York city at the turn of a century and based on a true story, Newsies is the rousing tale of Jack Kelly, a charismatic newsboy and leader of a ragged band of teenaged 'newsies' who dreams only of a better life far from the hardship of the...
