StoryZ, a Latrobe-based theatre company founded by Artistic Director Dr. Stephen A. Schrum, announces its production of Labor’s Martyr: The Story of Joe Hill (written by Schrum in collaboration with Glenn Plummer) opening on May 1 and running through May 3, 2025.
Joe Hill was a Swedish immigrant and itinerant worker who wrote new lyrics to old hymns—like an early 20th century “Weird Al” Yankovic—to spread the word of his union, the Industrial Workers of the World (IWW). He preceded Woody Guthrie and Bob Dylan as a minstrel of social reform. In one song, “The Preacher and The Slave,” Hill coined the phrase, “Pie in the Sky.” Hill was later arrested, tried, and executed for a murder he did not commit.
The original musical consists of songs written by Mr. Plummer as well as those of Joe Hill and others. The text includes speeches and writings by Joe Hill and his contemporaries, such as William “Big Bill” Haywood and Elizabeth Gurley Flynn, both union organizers. The play, though set in the early 1900s, reflects our present era with references to topics such as immigration, income inequality, wage slavery, unions and anti-union sentiment, the concept of being guilty until proven innocent, monopolies and mergers, and democracy vs. theocracy
Dr. Schrum, Emeritus Associate Professor of Theatre, now retired from the University of Pittsburgh at Greensburg, is also an Associate Member of Stage Directors and Choreographers, the professional union. DC. Mr. Plummer, a resident of Westmoreland county, served as the Director of Public Affairs for the United Food and Commercial Workers Local 23 and had previously worked as Assistant to the Director of Education for the UFCW International Union at the organization’s Washington, DC headquarters.
Auditions for the show will be held at the SpringHill Suites Conference Room, 115 Arnold Palmer Drive, Latrobe, PA 15650 on the following dates: Tues., 3/18 7:00pm-8:30pm Wed., 3/19 7:00pm-8:30pm, or Sat. 3/22 2:00pm-4:00pm. Roles include 5 Principal and multiple singing and non-singing Ensemble roles who double as a variety of characters, ranging in age from 12-70. Those auditioning will be asked to do a reading from the script, and anyone interested in a singing role should bring a song.
StoryZ is excited to be working with Caleb Hixon as the show’s musical director. Caleb is a pianist and vocalist who grew up in the greater Pittsburgh Area. Since graduating from Grove City College he has worked at Trinity Christian School where he teaches grades 3-6 general music along with Elementary, Middle, and High School Choir. He’s also done other musical directing around Pittsburgh, recently working on Fiddler on the Roof, Beauty and the Beast, Titanic, and Hadestown. In his remaining time he enjoys accompanying soloists and larger groups and has been an OMEA and PMEA festival accompanist.
Performances for Labor’s Martyr will begin with a special preview/concert performance at 7:30pm on Thursday, May 1 (commemorating both International Workers Day and the founding of StoryZ in 2023) at St. Stephen’s AME Church at 19 Oak St, Latrobe, PA 15650. The show will then move to Greensburg Hose Company #2 Hall, 137 North Penn Avenue, Greensburg, PA 15601, for two performances on Friday, May 2 at 7:30pm and a matinee performance May 3 at 2:00pm. Tickets ($20 regular, $10 students and seniors) will be available in advance through Eventbrite and also at the door.
There is also a GoFundMe campaign running to raise funds for the production. You can see the campaign here: https://gofund.me/cbfbed5d. A video with background on the creation of the script can be viewed here: https://youtu.be/us4uQrHOFrw.
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