Review: WORKING Gets the Job Done

This past weekend at South Bend's Clay High School, the musical Working by Stephen Schwartz and Nina Faso, based on the best-selling book of interviews with America's work force by Studs Terkel, took to the stage for three performances and absolutely earned their standing ovations! Comprised of dozens of students (and some teachers!) this high school's performance set an impressive tone for not only their student's abilities, but anybody who was involved with such an incredible show.

The musical is composed of various scenes and within those scenes are both monologues and song pieces that individually tell the stories of different average American workers. Each piece ranges anywhere from a worker loving their job, to tolerating their job, to hating their job and beyond; there are also hopes and dreams, let down's and excitements. While this no linear plotline to follow and this may not be everyone's cup of tea, the way that Clay High School pulls it off, you'll just be waiting for the next story anxiously, regardless if there is no storyline to follow because their talent pool is phenomenal.

At the outset, it has to be acknowledged that this was a huge show. There were so many people that worked on this show, both off stage and on stage, that there obviously had to be a lot of work power behind making this show come to life. The effort does not go unnoticed. There is a live orchestra that plays flawlessly which is also made up of student talent. In addition, there is an impressively large industrial-like stage consisting of metal stairs, fencing, and bleachers and so on that accommodates the gigantic cast without overshadowing them. On top of that, the costumes were sensible in that there was a standard uniform for the performers when they were just ensemble, and then very detailed costumes when they were a specific character such as a flight attendant or a bus driver, thus showing knowledge in how to discern performers in a large cast and therefore, expertise. The costumes were also well-made and stereotypically recognizable which suited the short lived monologues/songs and thus got their occupation well-across. Props and smaller furniture items were used appropriately sparingly for certain short scenes/songs, enhancing the character's stories and not detracting from them, kind of like the cherry on top of the cake.

However, there were a few glaringly obvious mishaps that continuously plagued the performance and that was the quality of the mics. Occasionally too loud, occasionally too low, the mics were truly a burden. When the mic's were too low, it showed a lack of self-awareness and theatre skill when the students couldn't compensate for the lack of support from the devices and didn't project enough to be heard from even a few rows back. When the mic's were too loud, they completely obliterated any possibility of hearing the students and giving them a chance to showcase their ability. Sometimes the mic's had such terrible feedback you just wished the scene would end so your ears would stop hurting. Yes, any person who works in a theatre knows that using mic's can be a dangerous choice because they are temperamental and can sometimes hurt more than help. In this case, it definitely hurt.

Terrible mic's aside, the show was saturated with remarkable talent. Literally everyone who performed on stage was talented whether it was their singing voice or their acting abilities. It is unquestionable that Director Candace Butler and Assistant Director Meghan Beard have astounding capabilities in teaching such a huge cast to perform to the degree that they did. There were however, a few performers who stood above all the rest.

James Johnson played Al Calinda, the parking lot attendant, and all I can say to Johnson is that I hope whatever future plans you have take you straight to New York City where you are auditioning to be on Broadway because there is no way you will not be successful with a voice like that. Johnson's voice is so smooth and powerful it reminded me of an old-time crooner a-lá Ray Charles. When he began to sing, there was a collective gasp of air at his gift.

Whilhelmena Dreyer who played Rose Hoffman, the teacher, may look tiny but packs a powerful voice. When Dreyer opened her mouth, I couldn't believe the full-voiced and mature singing that came out of it. Her performance was the most flawless in the entire show from her acting to her singing.

Quynn Hickey played Kate Rushton, the housewife, who was superb in her passionate delivery of the hardships she faces as a stay at home mom. Her voice was incredible, genuine, and Hickey commanded the stage with her presence. Definitely one of the more potent performances.

Aja Walls played Lucille Page, the seamstress, and lead the entire cast in the Act I ending song, "If I Could've Been" which was the show's most haunting, powerful song due mostly in part to her voice. Walls voice gave me chills as she stood out as a star amongst her fellow castmates.

Brielle Hall played Maggie Holmes, the cleaning woman, and dominated the stage with the right amount of sassy acting chops and a booming voice. She is a freshman and I look forward to seeing her in future productions because her aptitudes are very apparent as she is gifted in both acting and singing.

John Anderson, another freshman, played Charlie Blossom and blew away the audience with his hilarious role as the copy boy who dreams of killing everyone at his job. It takes a certain finesse in comedy to make an entire audience laugh as hard as they did about something as gruesome as killing all of your coworkers. He is another actor to look out for in future Clay productions.

You can't see Working anymore at Clay High School as it was only performed for 3 shows last weekend. But let this review serve as a testament to the caliber of theatre being performed at Clay High School. For "just" high school theatre, Clay is beyond just the run of the mill. Make sure to check in on and them and see their next show!

Photo Credit: Cindy Adamsson

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