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Theatre Wesleyan’s 56th annual musical Working punches in at the Thad Smotherman Theatre this spring. Both humorous and heart wrenching, Working tells the tale of 23 real-life people with vastly different jobs and vastly different outlooks on life.
Working was a book before Stephen Schwartz and Nina Faso adapted it into a musical. The literary version of Working, written by journalist Studs Terkel, consists of interviews with varying individuals about the work they do.
During the interview process, these ordinary people revealed extraordinary things: showing the joy, pain, sorrow, regret and pride people feel for their work and themselves.
While not able to include every character from the original book, Working the musical stays true to those characters represented.
Most of the dialogues, and even the songs, are verbatim accounts of Terkel’s interviews.
Wesleyan alumni Debbie Brown and Mike Skipper direct. Skipper is the Tony award-winning producer of the current Broadway hit, In the Heights, as well as Avenue Q. Brown has worked in local, national and international theaters and was a cast member of Casa Mañana for 15 years.
“I’m delighted to return to my alma mater to co-direct Working with one of my favorite fellow alums, Mike Skipper,” Brown said.
Students are glad to have them as well.
“It’s been a great opportunity working with professionals like Mike and Debbie,” said sophomore theater major Sarahi Salazar, stage manager for Working. “They make my job much easier.”
The show runs April 22–25. The box office opens at 1:30 p.m., April 13th. Box office hours are 1:30 p.m. - 4:30 p.m. Tuesday - Friday the week of the show and one hour before curtain. Call 817-531-4211 for performance and ticket information.
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