Durango High School Troupe 1096 will be staging a battle of the sexes royale with its fall musical “9 to 5” starting next week, and it’s not a show you want to miss.
Based on the 1980 hit movie that starred Lily Tomlin, Jane Fonda, Dolly Parton and Dabney Coleman, the story has been reworked as a television series and a musical.
It’s 1979, and Violet, Doralee and Judy are all dealing with their own troubles: Violet, a widow and single mother, aspires to climb the corporate ladder but is thwarted by nasty boss Franklin Hart and the boys’ club atmosphere he encourages in the office. Doralee is shunned by the other women in the office who are convinced she is having an affair with Hart. (She’s not.) Office newcomer Judy is trying to rebuild her life after her husband left her for his much younger secretary.
The three become united by their hatred for the sexist Hart, and fantasize about how they would get back at him. For those who don’t know the rest of the story, there will be no giving it away here, but suffice to say, there are major changes made in the office, and the women come out of the story stronger than ever.
For the DHS production, Director Ben Mattson has split the main characters into two different casts, switching off every night. He said he also gave a part to every student who auditioned for the show; a way to continue to grow the program and give students a voice, he said, adding that the decision to stage “9 to 5” was a way to highlight the talents of the students in the program this year.
“It’s double-cast. The six lead parts are played by a different cast every other night, while the ensemble and smaller featured roles stay the same each evening. People should actually see this show twice,” Mattson said. “Both casts are phenomenal and deliver a different take on each of their characterizations.
“I have extremely talented women in the troupe right now – I have talented men as well – but many shows feature men primarily, and I wanted to produce a show written by women (Patricia Resnick wrote the book, and Dolly Parton wrote the music) that really celebrated strong women,” Mattson said. “Each of the three main characters, Violet, Doralee and Judy, are (or become) amazing, powerful women but are completely different from each other and show different aspects of what it means to be a strong, independent woman in life and in the workplace.”
The double-cast includes:
Violet: Haley Szczech (Cast A) and Tierney Brennan (Cast B).Doralee: McKenzie Belt (Cast A) and Siena Widen (Cast B).Judy: Holly Harris (Cast A) and Anna Fenburg (Cast B).Hart: Athan Garza (Cast A) and Dylan Baken (Cast B).Roz: Izzy Herringer (Cast A) and Marissa Coumerilh (Cast B).Joe: Luke Nicholson (Cast A) and Anthony Berger (Cast B).Watching a rehearsal of the show Wednesday, what was most impressive was the intricacy of the production – scenery is shifted in an ingenious way and common office furniture becomes almost a troupe of dancers on its own.
“This show is deceptively enormous. It requires a huge amount of technical work, choreography, music, transitions – it’s as big as ‘Beauty and the Beast,’ although it feels smaller, more intimate and simpler,” Mattson said. “To create a feeling of simplicity among the fast transitions and production number after production number is a feat in its own right.”
While the show does have more mature moments, it’s something that wasn’t taken lightly, and is carefully dealt with, Mattson said.
“There is some adult content in the show, and we have censored it enough to keep it as family-friendly as possible,” he said. “I use theater moms with good barometers to come in and view the show early to make sure we stay within a ‘family’ realm.”
And the play has heart: In fact, at the beginning of Wednesday’s rehearsal, not only was the students’ energy high, they were also given advice from Mattson: “Fall in love with every moment of this show,” he told them.
Given the amount of hard work and long hours that have gone into the production, it’s obvious they have, he said.
“It’s fast and funny but hits sentimental notes at the perfect times,” Mattson said. “Despite its inherent campiness, the show delivers a strong message of working together, standing strong, believing in yourself and knowing when to demand to be seen, heard and respected. I believe in it, and so do the students.”
katie@durangoherald.com
If you go
What:
Durango High School Troupe 1096 presents “9 to 5.”
When:
7 p.m. Nov. 2, 3, 8, 9, 10, 15 and 16; 2 p.m. Nov. 10.
Where:
Durango High School, 2390 Main Ave.
Tickets:
$15, available online at
, or by phone at 259-1630, ext. 2141.
More information:
Visit
.
