Following their previous show “Crushed” in September, the Southeast Theatre Department performed “Working the Musical” on Friday, Nov. 21 and Saturday, Nov. 22.

“It’s based on a book that was written by Studs Terkel in the 1980s and this is an 

autobiographical book,” theatre teacher John Stafford said, “he interviewed a bunch of different people just kind of working in the middle class of America, and just what they do with their lives and why they do their jobs.”

The musical follows various members of the working class from waitresses to factory workers, as well as the struggles and accomplishments of the jobs that keep society running.

Stafford believes “Working” will be a refreshing new experience for audiences compared to previous musicals over the years.

“It doesn’t really follow that typical plot structure, and then on top of that, it is also about a group of people that are not normally presented on stage,” he said, “most of the time when you think about a musical, you’re thinking about people in very unique situations, or people that wouldn’t necessarily fit into that middle class working structure, but in this case, it’s telling the story of Americans that are not necessarily typically heard.”

The show’s actors have been rehearsing since September of this year, a change from past shows that Stafford and Choreographer Jillian Schlenker (11) deemed necessary.

“You think about a whole-group number that has choreography, singing and acting all the same time, and that takes a lot,” Stafford said, “So we really need people to be here as much as possible. And you know, sometimes that’s not always a reality, like if we have a sports practice or we have a game, we need to be willing to split our time.”

“There’s a lot of support when it comes to a musical,” Shlenker said, “not even just some people are choreographers, some people are just dancers, but also, just encouraging each other, even when someone’s doing bad. It’s okay because we’re all here.”

Shlenker, who plays Kate Rushton, a housewife in the show, has found small struggles in bringing her character to life.

“Things like having the body language of a mother, a housewife are really hard,” she said, “especially when you’re doing choreography that’s made by someone else.”

Though she can’t deny how rewarding it has been after all the time rehearsing to see the show come together.

“I love that part,” Shlenker said, “there’s just such a sense of community in the end, and it’s so fun.”

Stafford hopes “Working” will leave the same impression on audiences as it once did nearly 40 years after its inception.

“I hope that the audience walks out of the show feeling heartwarmed,” he said, “I think a lot of the show is very poignant, and when I say poignant, I mean very true to life, and I think that anyone that comes to see the show, regardless of kid or adult or student or teacher or admin, I think that anyone that comes to see the show will find a character or a moment where they connect.”