This article was written by Kaylee TerHaar-Parks
Sailing through the Northview High School auditorium, drama students dive into the final stormy moments of the Edmond Fitzgerald with their production of “Ten November.”
This weekend, embark on the treacherous journey as drama students combine theater with history in their reenactment of Steven Dietz and Eric Peltoniemi’s play “Ten November.” This play honors the final voyage of the Edmund Fitzgerald, an iron ore freighter which sank in Lake Superior November 10, 1975. “Ten November” pays respects to the 29 lives lost and families affected when she sank. Northview invites the community to share a night of local legacy and combine entertainment with education for audiences of all ages.
The devastating story of the Edmund Fitzgerald remains a haunting reality of the danger and commitment it takes to sail the Great Lakes during the harsh Michigan winter. Approaching the 50th anniversary of the tragedy, Northview hopes to present the community with not only a night of song and stage lights, but a night of honor and remembrance of the historical event and all the lives it touched. For Northview’s drama students, performing “Ten November” brings an opportunity to creatively combine artistry with history. These last few months of rehearsal presented an opportunity for students to demonstrate the discipline it takes to respectfully and artistically perform such an emotional show.
Director Anna Reynolds sees “Ten November” as a way for Northview’s Theater Department to chart and sail into new territory.
“I’m excited that we’re doing something more dramatic, we’ve been doing a lot of humorous productions and lighter type of shows and I’m excited to tackle some more serious subject matter,” Reynolds said. “I think that’s it’s just different, I’m definitely excited to be able to share the stories of this tragedy and really humanize people.”
Every word spoken on stage carries the weight of the lives lost beneath the waves. For junior actor Jada Smith, “Ten November” crashes an emotional and factual tidal wave into her performance.
“You just have to remember this was a real thing that happened, and like I said to my parents and friends, these lines are difficult because it’s genuine history and you have to get the facts. So it’s more of just remembering that this is something real that happened . . . and it affected history,” Smith said. “It affects the way the boats on Lake Superior and all the Great Lakes conduct now.”
For Smith her performance isn’t rooted solely in the event of Edmund Fitzgerald. She also connects and empathizes with those left behind, in particular the families affected by the tragedy.
“I really like the widows. I mean, not even mine specifically, that’s how I knew it was real and genuine because it affected their lives,” Smith said. “So it was more of just, like ‘oh, well, these 29 people died,’ whatever. We still moved on, but then you have these women coming up and showing how much it affected them in their day to day life.”
In addition to connecting to the audience and through song and lights on stage, Reynolds believes the authenticity behind each line will engage spectators and connect them to the history of “Ten November.”
“I can’t deny that there’s also the interest of the historical factor. I think it’s very interesting to play real people. We have a number of the actors play people who were on the ship,” Reynolds said. “All of the actors have moments of that throughout the show where it’s on record, this person said this thing to this investigative board. It adds to that sincerity and I think the uniqueness of it being dramatic.”
Smith believes it’s easy to underestimate a play rooted in the past, but the tragedy of the Edmund Fitzgerald is anchored in real lives and real loss that sent ripples through every one, even the cast.
“When I first found out we were doing the Edmond Fitzgerald I was like, yeah, no. No one’s ever gonna show up to this. No one cares about this. They just died. 50 years ago. Who cares? But I want them (audience members) to take away how moving plays can be. I want them to know there are powerful plays rather than funny plays . . . This one has actual emotion behind it,” Smith said. “I just want them to know there’s moving parts. There’s more than just comedy when it comes to performing.”
Agreeing with Smith, sophomore Azzy Belbot, the stage left deck captain in the show, believes “Ten November” is a way to share the powerful weight and honor the stormy history with the audience.
“I hope they (audience members) know the importance of the sinking and how important that it was in Michigan, our state,” Belbot said. “If you want to see something cool or some effects, or you’re interested in a little bit of the history, go to ‘Ten November.’”
Not everyone will walk into Northview High School with the knowledge of Edmund Fitzgerald, but for Reynolds that is exactly the point. Even for those unfamiliar with Michigan’s murky past,”Ten November” reaches beyond the facts and names. For Reynolds it’s about empathy, about taking the time to listen and sit with the historical grief.
“You don’t have to have anything, any familiarity with the boat or the Gordon Lightfoot song or Lakes,” Reynolds said. “The music aspect alone I think will be an important, fun, enticing piece, but again, the story itself is an interesting and very real human story. I think any time that you have an opportunity to learn someone’s story is an opportunity you should take. And this play provides you that opportunity.”
As the curtain rises and the lights dim, Northview High School’s Theater Department hopes to see the community come together for a night of local history on November 7th and 8th at 7:00pm in the Performing Arts Center. Adults and students can purchase tickets on the Northview Performing Arts Center website or through the scannable code on the flyer. Drama students are excited to share their hard work and dedication with their peers.
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