Published on March 7, 2025 | Frederick News-Post | Written by Erin Jones
It was New Year’s Day in 1892 when a 17-year-old girl made history by disembarking the steamship that had carried her, along with her two younger brothers, all the way from Ireland. A bronze statue in Cobh Ireland now depicts the trio, dressed in traveling clothes, clutching a parcel, and looking resolutely onward as they prepare for the life ahead.
Another statue on Ellis Island in New York City depicts the same teen on Ellis Island, clutching a suitcase in one hand and holding her hat to her head in the other.
These statues depict Annie Moore, and she was the first immigrant to come to America through Ellis Island. Twelve million would follow, their names and stories a part of the tapestry of American history.
Another homage to the legacy of those who came through Ellis Island will be coming to the Weinberg Center in the form of musical theater on March 9.
“Ellis Island: Gateway to a Dream” is a touring production by Sundog Theatre, based in Staten Island, New York. An ensemble of six brings the historic tale to life through the stories of those who immigrated to the U.S. by way of Ellis Island.
The hour-long musical is suitable for ages 6 and up. The show may hold particular appeal to history lovers, though it is also an educational resource, one of the qualities that Sundog Theatre values.
Sundog Theatre not only provides arts-in-education in schools but also a number of educational touring productions, including “Harriet Tubman Herself,” “The Roots of Black Music in America,” “The History of Electricity” and “A Dickens Holiday Musical.”
Named for the reflective solar phenomenon of the same name, Sundog Theatre’s website explains: “Just as sundogs reflect the sun, it is the artist’s calling to hold a mirror to humanity. Through humor and drama, Sundog presents its theatrical works — many of them original — for the past 19 years to show humankind through an exploratory light. Likewise, Sundog Theatre’s many in-school and educational touring programs support its mission to create lasting, positive change in young peoples’ lives through the arts.”
Despite the theater’s location in Staten Island, executive/artistic director Susan Fenley has local ties. She used to live in Maryland, and she and her husband were married in Frederick. She said she is excited to be returning to the city for the show, saying, “I have a very soft spot for this lovely place.”
“During that time, I saw the power of theater to teach and highly engage children in the learning process. All children were engaged, and I saw children who otherwise were not academically strong respond well to theatrically-based messages and teaching,” Fenley said.
When she co-founded Sundog Theatre in 2002, her past experiences inspired her to create educational programs that were based in theater to take into schools. For example, students wrote and performed short plays about historic events.
“This really brought the learning home for them,” Fenley said. “Instead of history happening hundreds of years ago, it was happening to them at that moment. The children understood the what and, importantly, the why of history by playing the characters.”
Over the years, Sundog Theatre has added dance, music and visual arts to its educational toolkit. Fenley says that the company’s teaching artists now bring programming to thousands of children in over 50 schools.
Sundog Theatre has performed its show “Ellis Island: Gateway to a Dream” for a decade. Written by Don Kersey with music by Steve Liebman, the musical has been a popular part of the company’s repertoire since the theater acquired the rights to perform it.
“Audiences have loved it. That is probably why we keep getting asked back to do the show year after year,” Fenley said. “It’s a show for the family, not just for children. There are elements that appeal to all ages and genders. In our 10th year, I still love watching the show and often have tears in my eyes during one touching part.”
“The magic of theater is that the audience sees themselves in the characters onstage in some way. They can relate to what they say and do, and their lives can be lifted and inspired by a writer’s words or songs,” Fenley said.
She hopes audiences will come away from the show inspired by the experiences of those who sought a better life in America and the challenges, sorrows and joys they faced along the way.
Like the statue of Annie Moore represents the millions who would come after her, the characters depicted by six actors on the Weinberg stage represent countless stories, names and faces. Their courage and resilience can now be remembered and celebrated, with a little help from the magic of theater.
Erin Jones is a freelance writer, former humanities teacher and owner of Galvanize & Grow Copywriting. She holds a BA in English from Hood College and an MA in English from the Bread Loaf School of English, through which she studied literature at Middlebury College and Oxford University. Learn more at erinjoneswriter.com, or follow her on Instagram @ErinJonesWriter
