'Ragtime's' Chaney cast members perform for YW's Stand Against Racism
YOUNGSTOWN
Cast members from the Chaney Visual and Performing Arts “Ragtime” production joined their voices and the show’s message with the YWCA of Youngstown’s Stand Against Racism.
The students performed vignettes from the Tony Award-winning play, which they performed last fall with Canfield High School students, Thursday morning at the YWCA’s third Stand Against Racism event.
Eliminating racism and empowering women are the mission of the national YWCA, said Leah Brooks, executive director.
“Our objective is to bring organizations together who believe, like we do, that by working together, we can end racism,” said Deborah Liptak, YWCA board president.
Tracy Schuler Vivo, Chaney VPA coordinator, said “Ragtime,” “explores the quintessential American experience” through the lives of three families from three different backgrounds and cultures: upper class suburbanites, European immigrants and residents of Harlem.
“The message of the musical of ‘Ragtime’ is an important message of hope and the story of the melting pot of America,” Schuler-Vivo said.
Students from the two high schools, mostly black students from Chaney and mostly white from Canfield, joined for the “Ragtime” rehearsals and performances and learned about each other in the process. “You would have that they would have different personalities,” said Chaney freshman La’Rayja Hill. “But when we met them, we act the same way.”
Read more of the story in Friday's Vindicator or on Vindy.com.