"We all know how the history of the working class has been distorted, hidden and forgotten. Baker's mission is to bring back some of that history, bring it to life, and tell the untold stories, perhaps even to a new generation."
- Ron Blascoe, Union Labor News-Wisconsin
Who is Jimmy Higgins?
Jimmy Higgins: A Life in the Labor Movement story of Jimmy Higgins who grows up in the first half of the 21st century in middle America. The play follows his involvement in various labor and socialist struggles from the presidential campaign of Eugene Debs to the May Day rallies of 1919, to the campaign of Sen. Robert La Follette Sr. on the Progressive Party Ticket to his becoming a reporter on labor struggles in Alabama and Michigan, ending with the climactic Battle of the Overpass, where he witnesses Henry Ford's violent attempt to intimidate labor leader Walter Luther.
Ten years ago I premiered my one man show Jimmy Higgins at the St. Lawrence Arts Center in Portland, Maine.
In that time I have performed this show in numerous locations throughout the New England.
A number of people have said to me, "It's too bad more people can't see your show!" Even though I intend to do more performances, having it aired on public television or YouTube would allow for more more people to see this production, which I feel is very educational, as well as entertaining.
It was suggested by a friend of mine (who saw the show in New Hampshire) that I might want to have this show filmed for broadcast on public television. He made a pitch to New Hampshire Public Television - they liked the idea, however they said they could not produce it. They told my friend that if he could produce it, we might be able to use it.
I asked a friend who has done video production and he gave me a price, which was much less than we expected. That may sound like a lot of money, but this isn't just a question of filming - it's also a matter of editing. If this is to be submitted to public television, the quality of the film must be professional.
The person I've asked is Reggie Groff of Groff Productions. He has done a lot of work over the past few years, including the original pilot for "Action League Now" for the Nickelodeon Channel.
Why this is important
With the current political climate across the country, and the recent Supreme Court ruling weakening public sector unions, it is important for all of us to remember our past struggles in trying to build a better society for ourselves and our children, in which organized labor played a very important role.
What we need
We are trying to raise a total of $5000, which would pay for filming, editing and rental of the studio to film the play. (I've recently received a grant for $500 from my union, Local 4593 American Federation of Teachers AFL-CIO, which will contribute towards this goal.) There may also be the need to pay for use of copyrighted songs in the production, for example the song "Roll the Union On," written in 1936 and made popular by Woody Guthrie is still under copyright.
Jimmy Higgins is a true labor of love that I've worked on since the summer of 2007. And I hope you will be able to see your way to making whatever contribution you can.
Reviews
"In the time it takes to pour two shots of whiskey into a tall glass, Harlan Baker - teacher, actor and former legislator - becomes 'Jimmy Higgins', a rank and file union and socialist activist who also happens to be an ink-in-the-veins journalist."
- James McCarthy, Brunswick Times Record
"What follows is a lot like novelist John dos Passos's famous U.S.A. trilogy, in that Jimmy experiences both the actual political events and fictionalized personal ones."
- Megan Grumling, The Portland Phoenix
