The Berwyn Beat, February 24-March 1

 By Nate Feldman

Conestoga High School Performs Chicago

From February 26-March 1, students at Conestoga High School put on a performance of the musical Chicago.  

The play is the story of Roxie Hart, a woman who kills her lover and goes to jail for it.  She hires Billy Flynn, a flamboyant lawyer to represent her.  Meanwhile, she becomes a huge celebrity in Chicago and relishes the attention.

Chicago focuses on fame, and how willing certain people will do extreme things to achieve it.  

The Conestoga performers were outstanding, and the production was top-notch.  

Book Report: Murder on the Baltimore Express

The book, Murder on the Baltimore Express by Suzanne Jurmain, details a plot in 1861 to assassinate Abraham Lincoln by southern sympathizers in Baltimore and how a team of detectives devised a way to get him to safety in Washington, DC.  

In 1861, Abraham Lincoln, who had recently been elected the 16th President of the United States began a journey by train from his hometown of Springfield, Illinois en route to Washington, DC.  Along the way, he stopped by many cities, big and small, to greet Americans, eager to meet the newly elected President and get an idea what his plans for the country were.

It was a perilous time as southern states had begun seceding from the Union in protest of Lincoln's opposition to the expansion of slavery.  Because of that, there was an alleged plot in Baltimore, Maryland, a slave-holding southern state, to assassinate Lincoln when his train arrived in town.  Allan Pinkerton, a top detective in the country and his agency discovered this and needed to warn Lincoln of the danger that awaited him.  

So, a plot was devised to sneak Lincoln through Baltimore undetected so that he could arrive in Washington, DC for his inauguration unharmed.  

The book, written as a story, gives a fascinating look into one of the most dangerous moments in our country's history.  It is written for young readers, but even as an adult, I learned some interesting facts.  I give it a 10 out of 10.  

Travel: A Day at the Museum of Modern Art (MOMA) in NYC

A painting at the MOMA museum

On Monday, I did a day trip to New York City to visit the Museum of Modern Art, or MOMA, in Manhattan.

Before I arrived there, I bumped into six of my students from the ELS language center I teach at, and we sat together for a while.

At the museum, I saw both older and contemporary works of art, ranging from Vincent Van Gogh's iconic Starry Night to works by Andy Warhol, Pablo Picasso, and other famous artists.  

Some paintings that really stuck out to me included Andy Warhol's Campbell Soup Cans paintings.  He painted all of the types of Campbell's Soup he had eaten over the years.  It made me think of things I often eat and if I should paint or draw pictures of them as well.

Andy Warhol's Campbell Soup Cans series of paintings

There is also the Sun Mad Raisins painting, that shows the Sun Maid woman, found on all Sun Maid Raisins products, but as a skeleton.  It says on the painting: Unnaturally Grown with Pesticides.  What is interesting about that is that for years I ate the Sun Maid Raisins, but I specifically always got the Organic kinds to avoid that very issue.  The artist was depicting something I had always wondered about Sun Maid products.

An afternoon at the MOMA is a great way for both art enthusiasts and others to enjoy their time in New York City. 

Coexistence Corner: Palestinian and Israeli journalist discuss their joint project, "No Other Land." 

CNN recently interviewed Basel Adra and Yuval Abraham, a Palestinian and Israeli journalist, whose documentary "No Other Land," is getting headlines throughout the world for its portrayal of a Palestinian village in dealing with the Israeli occupation of its land.  

The film has received a lot of recognition throughout the world.  The two journalists/filmmakers in the interview discussed their inspiration for the project and what they hope for the future of the Middle East region.

The movie went onto win the Oscar for Best Documentary at the 2025 Academy Awards.  Upon receiving the prize, Yuval Abraham stated that, "Together, Our Voices are Stronger."  See the following article for more details: https://www.haaretz.com/life/2025-03-03/ty-article/.premium/israeli-palestinian-coproduction-no-other-land-wins-oscar-for-best-documentary/00000195-5903-d465-a3df-7b3ba1ba0001

To learn more, read the interview at: https://www.cnn.com/2024/11/03/world/no-other-land-documentary-palestine-cec/index.html.   

The Atlantic magazine also published an article about the friendship between the two filmmakers in the following article: https://www.theatlantic.com/culture/archive/2025/02/unlikely-friendship-behind-oscar-favorite-no-other-land/681858/.