Program for the Worthington High School Production of "The Night Thoreau Spent in Jail"

Shown here is the program for the Worthington High School production of the play "The Night Thoreau Spent in Jail." The play was presented on December 2 and 4, 1976. The December 2 production was also the gala opening of WHS's new auditorium, which included a visit from playwrights Jerome Lawrence and Robert Lee.

The cover of the program features an ink drawing of a man's face, possibly a young Thoreau, peering through trees. Page two includes short biographies of the playwrights, Lawrence and Lee, as well as a brief meditation by the two authors on the meaning of the play in contemporary society. Page three lists production staff and acknowledgements, and page four is a full-page ad for the Worthington Inn. Page five lists cast credits, and pages six through nine feature ads for local businesses as well as lists of business and personal patrons of the theater. The final page is reserved for autographs.

A November 25, 1976 front-page article in "The Worthington News" highlighted the upcoming production of the play. It featured a photo of student Michael Weld in character in the role of Thoreau, as well as director Bronwynn Hopton in conversation with Dr. Roy Bowen, who directed the play's premier performance at The Ohio State University in 1970 and who joined Lawrence and Lee at the December 2 production.

The article provides further information on Lawrence and Lee. Known for their Broadway hits "Mame" and "Inherit the Wind," the two wrote "The Night Thoreau Spent in Jail" in the late 1960s as a reflection of the United States' role in the Vietnam War. In 1846, Thoreau was jailed for failing to pay taxes in protest of the Mexican War, which he considered immoral.

Bronwynn Hopton directed the production, and the article shares: "Mrs. Hopton, who appeared in OSU's production, feels this is an ideal play for high school students because it portrays the young Thoreau struggling to reconcile his ideals with the real world in which he lives. 'It is a struggle that high school students can identify with.'"

Hopton taught drama at Worthington High School/Thomas Worthington High School from 1973-2013. In 1988, she founded the Worthington High School Theatre Repertory. Countless alumni cite her influence for their love of theater, or even their professional success in the field. An October 24, 2010 "Columbus Dispatch" article quotes her as saying, "Theater is not just a superfluous after-school event, but something we study that deserves the same focus as science, math or history. " Her first name graces the Bronwynn Theatre at the McConnell Arts Center.