Average Joe: Local teens 'Working' on Studs Terkel musical
MICHAEL SMITH, 03/15/2004
Nicholas Foster (center) and Cody Bromley (right) rehearse a scene from the musical "Working" on Thursday. STEPHEN HOLMAN / Tulsa World
Every person has a tale to tell, and Studs Terkel had a knack for finding it.
A wonderfully natural storyteller, Terkel's journalism fame came from interviewing gravediggers, washroom attendants, truck drivers, dentists and more about "what they do all day and how they feel about what they do."
That Stephen Schwartz adapted these tales into a musical called "Working" in 1978 was a testament to Terkel's success in honoring the everyday working stiff.
But the fact that this effort is being produced by Youth Onstage, a local theater troupe featuring middle and high school students, begs a question: What do boys and girls age 12-18 know about hard work?
Well, to start, they undergo several hours of schooling and plenty of homework. A few members of the cast already have after-school jobs. Then, at night, they come to rehearsals for this show, arriving home just in time for bed.
The young people in this show already have learned a strong work ethic, said Youth Onstage president Morgan Powell, whose show opens March 26 at Nightingale Theater.
"My admiration for them knows no bounds. I tell each one of them that they have a job, and then they come to this job, and they throw themselves into it. I have nothing but respect for them," Powell said.
"They know life is hard. They know that working and schoolwork are mundane, and what I hope this play teaches them is that even the most mundane tasks are important."
That point is made in the musical, directed here by Vern Stefanic, in story and song as diverse as the dedication of school teachers, the conscientiousness of a cleaning lady and the rigors of migrant workers harvesting crops. The power which drives the prose of Terkel's stories about the workers is also found in the music by Stephen Schwartz -- simple and straight-forward, yet also inspiring.
"One theme linking these diverse tales is the unadorned pride so many of us take in our jobs, no matter how unspectacular they may at times seem," Powell said.
"I think the kids see that pride. We've talked about how things in this country seem to work, and they don't work by accident. They work because someone took pride in putting something together."
The cast includes Kara Bellavia, Cody Bromley, Sarah Chancellor, Alan Davidson, Steven Eiler, Nicholas Foster, Michelle Gettel, Shannon Gettel, Isaac M. Harris II, Elisabeth Hunt, Kyle Leapline, Daniel Puma, Anita Rice, Karli Riggs, Anna Schubert, Sarah Schubert, Alison Victor, Gabrielle Wells, Matt Whittaker and Tabitha Wood.
Performances of the Youth Onstage production of "Working" are set for 7:30 p.m. March 26-27 and 2 p.m. March 28 at the Nightingale Theater, 1416 E. Fourth St. Tickets are $6-$8 and may be reserved by calling 371-3622.