Blair Academy Players Working on Working

The Blair Academy Players presented the musical Working on November 3, 4 & 5 in the Dubois Theatre in the Armstrong-Hipkins Center for the Arts. Based on Studs Terkel’s best-selling book of interviews with American workers, Working tells the compelling story of those who go to work every day: the schoolteacher, the parking lot attendant, the waitress, the millworker, the housewife, etc. This musical is a rare collection of the stories of these workers told by a varied collection of composers. Comprising the ensemble cast were Jordon Arnold ’12, Salley Winter Baxter ’15, Carmine Burdi ’15, Claudia Choi ’14, Olivia Clavel-Davis ’12, Celeen Hefele ’12, Hanna Huntley ’12, Maddie Kling ’13, Hannah Lappin ’13, Maddie Michaud ’13, Caleb Nadeau ’15, Jimmy Nieh ’12, Sam Park ’12, Jose Rodriguez ’12, Claire Ryder ’13, Nikki Thompson ’13 and middle schooler Trevor Van Vliet. The play wass student directed by Hannah Lappin.

“We wanted to do a second musical this year with the winter musical, which this year is Stephen Sondheim’s Sweeney Todd,” said director Craig Evans. “Working is a real complement to that show, offering lots of solos and dramatic vignettes for our highly talented and varied cast. As one reviewer said, ‘Chorus Line is about Broadway musical folks; Working is Chorus Line for the rest of us.’ This is a show that covers such a wide variety of life experiences in a multitude of professions. The writers succeed in keeping true to Terkel’s man-on-the-street interviews.”

From offices to construction sites, from restaurants to the house, all of us go to work and find or not a meaning in our lives. Working has something to say to the audience member who is soon to enter the workforce to he who has retired.

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Updated 11/7/11

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