Northview — “When the lake wants you, she takes you. She has a technology all her own.”
These words, from the play “Ten November,” are spoken by senior and actor Maya Grix as she’s mostly shrouded in darkness on stage. The words fall with a heaviness, reminding the audience of a truth that’s just as real today as it was 50 years ago, on Lake Superior in November 1975, when the S.S. Edmund Fitzgerald and its 29-member crew sank in a powerful storm.
The cast and crew at Northview High School will stage the docudrama this week Friday and Saturday, Nov. 7 and 8, to commemorate the anniversary of this tragedy. Told in a series of spoken and musical vignettes, the play honors the true stories of both victims and those left behind as it investigates the unanswered questions that surround the sinking.
But before they could bring the story of the Edmund Fitzgerald to life on stage, the students first needed to understand this part of Michigan’s history for themselves.
“I auditioned before I even knew anything about (the Fitzgerald),” said Maya, who plays many characters in the one-hour production, including a widow, a sailor and an attorney.
Performance schedule
The Northview High School performances of “Ten November” will take place at the Max Colley Jr. Performing Arts Center, 4451 Hunsberger Avenue NE, on Friday and Saturday, November 7 and 8. Both shows begin at 7:00 p.m. Tickets are available online.
“(Director) Ms. Reynolds told us we needed to really sit with our characters and understand how the sinking of the Fitzgerald affected them personally, so it’s been really interesting to discover the story as I got more into my characters, realizing the effect that this sinking had on all of these families. Learning more about what happened helps us all channel those emotions better.”
Understanding History
Director and teacher Anna Reynolds said that, like Maya, most of her cast and crew had little to no knowledge of the Edmund Fitzgerald prior to joining the production. With a background in teaching social studies, history and English, she made it a point to incorporate lessons into rehearsals from the very beginning.
“Fifty years is a long time, but it’s not that long ago, and there was a moment when I think they all had that realization,” Reynolds said. “There’s actual photographs of these people in color; most of these people would still be alive today. Encountering firsthand sources, I think, was a big turning point for them.”
Together, they studied aspects like shipping routes in the Great Lakes, geography and weather patterns, and the economics of Michigan’s shipping industry. They even dug into the Coast Guard investigation report from the sinking, which was recently declassified.
As students looked at photos of the crew members, discovered obituaries of the characters they play on stage and read through old interviews, their ability to tell this story honestly and respectfully deepened, Reynolds said.
“History is so important when set in the right context,” she said. “When it comes to actually portraying real people’s lives, real events, we have to understand that context in order to tell someone else’s story.
“The level of empathy that kids are getting from this particular story is really critical — they’re learning to think about their character and who they are and how that person would react in real life. … It really gets at the heart of what theater is meant to be.”
‘It’s a big honor to do this, because these people’s stories need to be told, and I feel like if we can do that well, then that is a small part of honoring them.’
— senior Jill López
Honoring Those Lost
As stage manager for “Ten November,” senior Jill López has been by Reynolds’ side throughout the rehearsal process, helping actors with lines, directing the backstage crew and taking notes on small details that need to be changed.
While studying the sinking, Jill said she was surprised to learn that the freighter sank in only 10 seconds, and that reports indicated the Fitzgerald needed repairs before its doomed voyage.
“We still don’t know that much about the sinking, but it was a tragic event and there’s crucial knowledge that has helped with (developing) more advanced technologies and safety things,” she said. “It’s a big honor to do this (play), because these people’s stories need to be told, and I feel like if we can do that well, then that is a small part of honoring them.”
Another way to honor the victims, Jill said, is by teaching their story to others. On Friday, the cast and crew of “Ten November” will visit East Oakview Elementary to talk about the Edmund Fitzgerald, answer questions and perform a short piece from the play.
They’ve also put together a small Edmund Fitzgerald “museum” in the auditorium lobby for theater-goers to explore before watching the play. The displays will take visitors through a timeline of events before and after the sinking, featuring photographs borrowed from the Great Lakes Historical Society, and end at a memorial wall for the 29 men.
Jill said she encourages ticketholders to arrive early so that they have time to read and digest the information before watching the story come to life on stage.
“We’ve had months to learn about this, and Ms. Reynolds has done a really great job instilling in us that this is a real story and it’s important to get it right,” the stage manager said. “So I think (the audience) getting a little knowledge before going in is crucial to understanding it. I hope they’ll enjoy it, but also that they’ll take away just a small part of what we have taken away from it.”
Read more from Northview:
• Mileage Club promotes fitness and more
• ‘I’ve hit the pinnacle with this role’
