At the height of the Second Industrial Revolution, workplace injuries resulting in physical maiming or other forms of impairment were incredibly common and a source of great fear and anxiety. Decades of poor workplace conditions and mistreatment of workers led to a massive labor movement in the United States. Before workplace legislation was fought for and enacted however, factory workers who became disabled on the job were often left with little recourse. 

 

In the libretto’s character list, Crutchie is described as the ‘newsie with a bum leg;’ Crutchie’s specific disability is never named. While this is not essential to the overall action of the play, it would be good for the actor playing the role to be clear on what the issue is. Described in the opening stage directions as a ‘slight and sickly boy of 15’ and based on his initial conversation with Jack, it seems that Crutchie’s disability may be something he has acquired rather than something he was born with. 

 

Polio, an infectious viral disease that affects the central nervous system and can cause temporary or permanent paralysis, is a reasonable cause for Crutchie’s disability; epidemics of the disease were fairly common at the time, with the last epidemic striking North America in 1950. Another malady one could consider is rickets, a childhood disease caused by vitamin D deficiency, characterized by imperfect calcification, softening, and distortion of bones and typically resulting in bow legs.

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To learn more about polio, click here.

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To learn more about rickets, click here.

 

Despite Crutchie’s physical issues however, he makes clear to the other characters (and the audience), that like most in his situation, he is more than his disability. From the start of the show, we hear how Crutchie is the envy of Jack and the other newsies because his disability gives him an almost preternatural advantage in his profession. Crutchie’s pride and optimism sets the tone for the rest of the production. Crutchie is fascinating because he could have easily been written as a one-dimensional “magical other” who serves as a symbol of pity and inspiration – but he is incredibly three-dimensional.