Historical Society Brings History To Life With Video Series

Each year the Hightstown-East Windsor Historical Society premieres a new video about its local history starring local young people aged 9 – 18 years old. This year’s show is about Walter C. Black and auditions will take place Saturday, March 8 at 1 pm (you can find more info here). If you have an elementary school age child, you’ll recognize Mr. Black’s name from the school named for him on Stockton Street in Hightstown.

“I started this with the idea of bringing a new type of performance to young people while also helping to promote local history,” said Gregory Ciano, Vice-President of the Society and Head of Community Outreach. “Most young people only have connection to live theater performance, and while that’s a fantastic way to stimulate creative minds it’s only one option. Through our productions they learn how to perform for the camera, which is a totally different way to perform, while also learning the basics of pre-recording the music for the production and then performing to that recording on camera.”

This production series is written and directed by Mr. Ciano. This year’s production, Walter C. Black: Mensch includes musical numbers written by high school sophomore Helena LeCompte of Roosevelt, New Jersey who will also help as the Assistant Director.

“I try to work with the same cast year after year while adding new cast members with each year,” Mr. Ciano pointed out. “Especially as my older cast members graduate on to bigger productions. However, the ones who come back year after year are able to take on more responsibility off-camera if they’re interested. Take Helena for example. This is her sixth production with us, five of which were on camera. This also marks the third time she’s written music for the show. It’s a great experience for me to watch these kids grow creatively.”

This video production event is in its seventh year with past productions being about the locomotive The John Bull and the industry it brought to the area, Clara Barton (who taught and lived in Hightstown for a year), John and Mary Hight (founders of Hightstown), and Grace Norton Rogers a former schoolteacher, and Ethel McKnight also a former teacher who, touched so many young lives and contributed immensely to Hightstown like Walter Black did.

Auditions for this year’s show will be held on Saturday, March 8 at the Hightstown-East Windsor Historical Society Headquarters, 164 North Main Street in Hightstown, New Jersey. The audition script and more information can be found on the Historical Society's website www.hewhs.com. The production shoots on Fridays from 7 – 9 pm (Middle Schoolers and High Schoolers only) and Saturdays from 12 noon – 4 pm (all ages) in March, April, and May with a premiere date of Saturday, May 17th with two showings. The first show is at 1 pm and the second showing is at 3 pm. Being part of the production is free and open to anyone between the ages of 9 and 18 years old. Tickets for the show are $6.