Theatre Update: 9 to 5

Written by Paxton Towe

Well, a lot has happened with the Country Day thespian community over the past month, and especially within the last few weeks. Here’s what has happened, and what’s to look forward to:

Country Day just closed out its annual musical production, this year performing the upbeat and exaggerative 9 to 5. The musical follows Violet Newstead (Cleo Shelton), an expert, sarcastic but serious office manager at the Consolidated Company, Judy Bernly (Gabby Galoni), an innocent but scarred new employee, and Doralee (Mollie Macfadyen) a confident, Dolly Parton like character as they take the lying, hypocritical, egotistical, bigoted boss Franklin Hart (Ian Rogers). The musical explores themes of patriarchy, justice, and even love. The show ran for three days and was judged for the Shuler Hensley Awards (dates of award announcement have not been released yet). The show was beautiful, selling out on multiple nights and attracting viewers from different schools, counties, and cities.

As for the future, the spring play is a rendition of Shakespeare’s Much Ado About Nothing. There are few details confirmed about the production, but director James Venhaus is looking to take an interpretive approach to the classic text, even inviting the audience to be on stage with the actors like the production of Our Town in 2023. The show will encompass a large ensemble and comedic leads, as well as music accompaniment.

Viewers should savor the memories of 9 to 5 and look forward to the beauty of Much Ado About Nothing in the spring.