CRAFTPlayers’ Titanic sets sail at Newtown Middle School

On March 6 and 7, the stage at Newtown Middle School transformed into the deck of one of history’s most famous ships as CRAFTPlayers presented its production of “Titanic, The Musical.” With two sold-out performances and a cast and crew made up almost entirely of students, the show marked another milestone for a theater program that has been part of the school community for more than three decades.

Performed to packed audiences of 657 seats each night, the production was met with enthusiastic praise both in person and online. “The show was incredibly well received,” said director Mark Dolan, who also serves as the school’s general music teacher and choir director. “On Facebook and online, people were still chatting about it a week later.”

Dolan added, “I’ve been directing these performances for 24 years; this is also my 24th year at the school,” he said. Over that time, CRAFTPlayers has built a reputation for staging high-quality productions, from “Les Misérables” to “Fiddler on the Roof”, all performed with a live pit orchestra, a rarity at the middle school level.

This year’s production continued that tradition. The orchestra featured a unique blend of talent, including middle school students, high school volunteers, current music educators, and even retired members of the Council Rock music department. “Many high school students return because they had such a great experience participating in these shows while in middle school,” Dolan explained.

In total, about 90 students participated in the production, with 15 high school musicians assisting in the orchestra. The rest, from actors to stage crew to lighting technicians,were middle schoolers. “From behind the scenes, running the lights and stage crew, it’s all kids,” Dolan said.

The show itself, running two hours and fifteen minutes with an intermission, was no small undertaking. Unlike the blockbuster film, “Titanic, The Musical” focuses on the real people aboard the ship and the human stories behind the tragedy. 

“Part of why we chose “Titanic” as this year’s musical is because it has a lot of acting parts, so you can involve as many kids as possible,” Dolan said. “But also, there’s been so much information about the Titanic popping up online in recent years; it just seemed like the right time.”

Students embraced the subject matter with enthusiasm. “They really did the deep dive, so to speak,” Dolan noted. “They wanted to learn everything they could about their characters and the story.”

Among some notable performances were eighth grader Carson Graham as ship architect Thomas Andrews, seventh grader Charles Laufer as Captain E.J. Smith, and seventh grader Chris Mendez as White Star Line chairman J. Bruce Ismay. Other notable roles included Nolan Barrientos as stoker Frederick Barrett, Hanna Delenick as radioman Harold Bride, and Eliza Devine as lookout Frederick Fleet.

“While the students quickly grasped the music and storytelling, the biggest challenge was building the Titanic on stage,” Dolan said. “It was the biggest set we ever built.” The impressive set was constructed by Newtown resident Doug Demskis, and it really helped bring the performance to life.”

Despite the scale of the production, Dolan emphasized that the heart of CRAFTPlayers lies in its inclusivity. “One of the things about a theater program at a school is that every kid can feel a part of it,” he said. “We accept everyone and find a place for them, whether it’s on stage or behind the scenes.”

Because of that sense of belonging, many students felt a deep emotional connection to the show. “The kids were all depressed when it was over,” Dolan shared. “They had such a good experience being part of it. It’s like you have a little void in your life after you spend so much time getting a production that big going.”

The emotional impact extended to the audience as well. Dolan noted two particularly powerful moments in the show. One, a dramatic number titled “The Blame,” features key figures debating responsibility for the disaster. “It’s very powerful,” he said. The other is a haunting closing piece sung by the ship’s architect, describing the impending sinking. “It’s not staged, but it is sung so you get an idea of what the disaster is going to look like,” Dolan explained. “The kids really delivered; they were getting applause in the middle of the song.”

The success of the production can be largely attributed to the community support. While about half the audience consisted of family members, many attendees were alumni or local residents who have followed CRAFTPlayers for years. “We have a lot of people who graduated years ago who come back to see the show,” Dolan said. “That’s why we easily sold out.”

That multigenerational connection was on full display opening night, when Liam de Barra, grandson of one of CRAFTPlayers’ co-founders Julie Lambert, attended the performance. “He’s a kid at Goodnoe Elementary School right now, and he was so into it,” Dolan said. “That was really cool to see.”

Over the years, the program has also grown behind the scenes, evolving from a small operation into a well-supported production team. “When I first started, it was just me and one other teacher,” Dolan recalled. “Now we have a choreographer, producers, we’ve built up a really good leadership team so the kids receive the support they need.”

As the curtain closes on this year’s production, attention is already turning to the future. The team plans to announce next year’s show before the end of the school year, giving students something to look forward to over the summer.