Perpich Arts High School Theater Ensemble Presents “Runaways”

March 17, 2025

The Perpich Arts High School Theater Ensemble presented “Runaways” over a four-show run March 13th through March 15th. “Runaways” is a musical which was written, composed, choreographed, and directed by Elizabeth Swados, about the lives of children who run away from home and live on the city streets. The characters were taken from workshops conducted by Swados with real-life runaways in the late 1970s. Through songs, monologues, and poems, the characters examine and explain why they are runaways. They are abused, come from broken families, or are in an orphanage. The children show a range of emotions, and are seen as victims but also perpetrators. They plead with their families and society to ‘Let Me Be A Kid Again.’

“The show ‘Runaways’ was brought to my attention by faculty member, Bob Frey, many years ago as an ensemble-based performance that he thought would work very well within our curriculum,” said Tory Peterson, Theater Instructor. “Years later, Musical Theater instructor, Kevin Werner Hohlstein, came to me asking if I’d ever heard of the play. I relayed the story about Bob and his love of the play and now, six years later from that conversation, we decided to produce the play as part of our verbatim unit in musical theater. Thanks to Bob and Kevin for finding a way to make this come to life.”

Warren Coler Mulholland (Theater 2025) was moved by the underlying themes of the show and the relevance to real life stories. “This wasn’t produced for entertainment. We aren’t meant to simply watch this for a laugh or for a respite from normalcy; this show was meant to inspire to help those who needed, and still need it,” he said. “Unhoused teens are still a massive issue all across the United States, and even in the best prepared states, (including Minnesota), there are upwards of 5,000 teens who sleep on the streets every night. The show was meant to inspire activism, and while it’s great to be enjoyed, I want to ensure that our original goal is not forgotten. It was a joy and a privilege to put on this show, and I am grateful I got the chance to work on it with the people I did.”

Audrey Tuite (Musical Theater 2026) said, “I am very thankful to everyone for all the work put in. We couldn’t have done it without all of the support we got from Kevin, Tory, and many others. ‘Runaways’ definitely wasn’t easy and there were a lot of difficult moments through discussion and figuring out how to portray these important stories, but a lot of work, research, time, and dedication was put into it.”

Ailee Bartz (Musical Theater 2026) said, “Putting on a show like ‘Runaways’ has taught me so much. Not only have I learned about various methods of acting and making choices that may be strong or weak, but I also learned more about understanding the situations of others, and how to share their stories as an actor.”

Reflecting on the rehearsal and performance experience, Livi Solinger (Theater 2025) said, “No matter how hard it gets, it’s the people that stand by you that makes it worth it.”

Kevin Werner Hohlstein, Music Instructor, acknowledged the difficulty of this show, both technically and thematically. “I am so proud of and for the cast of ‘Runaways’. This show is difficult for a number of reasons, but most importantly the format in which we chose to perform it and the sheer raw nature of the subject matter,” he said. “In terms of the performance format, the audience was very close and on both sides of the playing space, leaving them no place to ‘hide’ or ‘escape’ during the parts of the show when they weren’t featured. This cast was able to embrace this challenge and made sure to use it to their advantage during the telling of their stories. As for the subject matter, this cast took the time to work into the stories they were telling as they knew they were stories of actual people blending into the narrative of the play. They looked for ways to authentically tell the story given to them and gracefully and respectfully achieved this. And as the cast worked toward the performances, the level of individual growth made by each of the performers was incredible.”

Rebecca Bullen, Principal, celebrated the production. “‘Runaways’ showcased the hard work, creativity, and emotional depth of our Musical Theater and Theater students, who brought to life the powerful story of runaways in New York City,” she said. “Directors Kevin Werner Hohlstein and Tory Peterson mentored and supported them through it, balancing education and care. To see the students growth as actors, leaders, and creative thinkers show up on stage is a gift!”

The Theater and Musical Theater students did extensive research while preparing this show, including inviting Kevin Kjonaas with Avenues for Youth to their classroom. Kevin is Associate Director of Development & Communications for Avenues and was invited to speak on youth homelessness. “Tory Peterson’s students, getting prepared for the play ‘Runaways’, were prepared, serious, and thoroughly engaged in our conversation about root causes of youth homelessness and community resources that are available,” said Kjonaas. “They asked thoughtful questions and demonstrated an impressive level of seriousness, not only for the roles they will play, but because they genuinely care about their peers experiencing homelessness and the trauma that comes with it. Myself and others from Avenues are excited to attend this play and applaud the wider Perpich community for fostering this incredible environment.”

“Runaways”, a collage of songs, monologues, and scenes about children who have left home — their problems, fantasies, and methods of survival — is Elizabeth Swados’ total creation. “Runaways” is one person’s vision. It was her original idea and she had been working on it compulsively for years. For months in 1978-79, Swados interviewed and observed runaways; on the basis of this research, she wrote the words and music for the play. It started as a journey at the Public Theater in New York and transferred to Broadway in 1979 where it received numerous Tony Award nominations.

Congratulations to all those involved in the show!