CHADRON – The Chadron State College Theatre department opens its 2023 spring season with Working, a musical adapted by Stephen Schwartz and Nina Faso from Studs Terkel’s best-selling book of interviews with American workers.
Public performances in Memorial Hall’s Black Box Theatre will be at 7 p.m. Feb. 16-17 and 24-25, with a 2 p.m. matinee Feb. 19. Admission is free, but seat reservations are recommended. Questions can be emailed to theatretix@csc.edu.
According to the Music Theatre International website, Working paints a vivid portrait of the workers that the world so often takes for granted: the schoolteacher, the phone operator, the waitress, the millworker, the mason, and the housewife, among others.
Zackary Wellnitz of Rushville, Nebraska, cast as Man 3, said portraying real-life characters is different than fictional characters.
“The most challenging part of Working for me is the fact that the characters you see on stage are actual people. Every character is based off a real person. As an actor, I like to hide myself behind a fun, extrinsic character, but with this show I have to show the audience your average 9-5 worker,” Wellnitz said.
Levi O’Dell of Chadron, playing Man 2, highlighted the amount of work each of the actors put into the performance.
“There are very few scenes with back-and-forth dialogue, which means we all have quite a few monologues and long works of the text to memorize. We also all have two solo songs that we have to prepare on top of the harmonies for any of the other songs we are singing,” he said.
Sound Designer Trista Topil mentioned how creating the sound effects for the musical has stretched her skills.
“What I find the most challenging is to find the correct sounds for the cues, but also coming up with new ideas that fit the direction of the musical,” Topil said.
O’Dell also shared how the variety of characters impacted his views of others’ work and his own future career.
“I hope the audience watches this show and realizes that everyone’s perspective on work is different and it should all be valued,” he said. “Hearing about some people who love what they do, even if it seems small, makes me hopeful for my future.”
Wellnitz said he hopes the musical will help audience members realize their lives have meaning.
“The whole point behind Working is that even if you work a lousy 9-5 job, you still exist. It may not feel like that some days, but the truth is we are all people at the end of the day,” Wellnitz said.
He said the show gave him a deeper respect for people in the working world and his own parents.
“I now have this appreciation not only for every day working-class people, but also a great appreciation for my parents. So many of our parents have given up their hopes and dreams so their kids can live theirs,” Wellnitz said.
Cast
Man 1: Jarret Buchholz of Arnold., Neb.,
Man 2: Levi O’Dell of Chadron
Man 3: Zackary Wellnitz of Rushville, Neb.,
Woman 1: Isabella Ashley of Rapid City, SD,
Woman 2: Amber Harvey of Centennial, Colo.,
Woman 3: Olivia Freeze of Bridgeport, Neb.,
Crew
Stage Manager: Josie Fritz
Assistant Stage Manager: Chloe Shatswell
Sound Designer: Trista Topil