Goessel Elementary School to present, The Castaways.
The fourth, fifth, and sixth grade choir at Goessel Elementary School will present the musical, "The Castaways," at 10 a.m. and 7 p.m. March 30 at Goessel High School auditorium.
The story is based upon events that took place at the turn of the last century indicative of conditions existing in large eastern cities between 1855 and 1929.
In the years prior to coordinated social services, many poor families found it impossible to support and shelter all of their children. Some of these children were either abandoned or chose to leave the family setting for what they hoped would be a better life on the streets.
The hardships and ordeals experienced by these homeless castaways forms the basis of this story. The occasional humor and the lighter side of their "Oliver Twist" manner of existence balance the hardships experienced.
The Goessel area was directly influenced by this story as five orphans were brought to the Bethesda Hospital by the "orphan train" to be adopted by families in 1929. The fourth through sixth grade choir is already enjoying learning the great variety of music, while also learning about the story line behind the songs.
We hope to gain an awareness of the homeless situations in our present time and find ways to help in our own communities. With this in mind, we would like to request that all who attend the musical bring a non-perishable item that would then be donated to the Goessel Food Pantry.
