playbill vip

The last time I directed The Pajama Game our theatre had not yet been built.  We mounted the production in our multi-purpose room.  I was a younger, less experienced director then, and I did not take the opportunities to uncover all of the layers that Abbott and Bissell included in the book and Adler and Ross put into the lyrics and music.

At first glance The Pajama Game is a piece from the classic musical theatre age, full of stylized characters and many songs and scenes used to tell the story.  Almost all of the students involved in the production had never heard of the show and were concerned about the lack of a well-known, contemporary show for our season.  But as we began to peel back the layers in this production, we began to find many contemporary connections, not all positive, between the characters in The Pajama Game and our modern society.  

As a director, I have taken the opportunity to use this show as a history lesson for the cast.  We started out one rehearsal with an assembly line simulation, complete with workers and management taking on their prospective roles.  It was an enlightening experience to many as they began to understand the demands of a production line and how important each worker is in the line.  Even more recently, as we were in the last weeks of rehearsal, the treatment of women in our society has received much attention.  The Pajama Game deals with the treatment of women, both in Babe's struggle to be recognized as a strong leader and not just a woman looking for a man, and even more strongly in the way the Prez flirts and pursues the factory girls, even though he is a married man.  The students were shocked by the lines and the actions in the play, as they related to the treatment of women, but as I explained to them, at the time, this behavior was not as widely discussed or seen as unacceptable as it is in today's culture.  Also, in the character of Hasler we have explored the concepts of patriotism and the McCarthy era as well.

I am honored to continue to direct a committed group of students and work with a dedicated group of adults, alumni and parents to produce these shows. My sincere thanks goes out to the following people:

Ginger– It is a pleasure directing these musicals side-by-side with you. Your talent as a vocal director never ceases to amaze me! Cindy– Thank you for joining our team!  Your dedication and enthusiasm are evident in every number! Bryan– Thank you for all of your tireless effort and creativity in creating the scenery! Jim– Thank you for your creative, visual effects and your tireless effort. Advanced Tech. Students- thank you for embracing this production and seeing it through to the opening.  Your efforts have not gone unnoticed!  Sharon and "Gram" – thank you for costuming so many actors and for all your attention to detail. Erica and Elisa - thank for coordinating all of the meals and volunteers. Thank you for keeping us happy and fed! FHS Staff and Administration- thank you for supporting the students, this show and this program. Cast and Crew– Thank you for your hard work, dedication and endless energy! Congratulations on a great show! To the parents of the cast and crew- thank you for volunteering for all of the jobs that needed to be done. And thank you for supporting your students through the show and for raising such wonderful, polite young adults. They are a pleasure to direct.

To Michael– Thank you for the many things, large and small, you do to bring the show to the stage.  Your creativity in engineering special effects, your willingness to take on any job- all of it! I know I can always count on you!  Here's to another opening, another show.  I couldn't do it without you, and I wouldn't want to.

A final thank you to you, the audience- thank you for your support of live theatre and, even more importantly, your support of educational theatre.

We hope that you enjoy the show!

Tamara Mosier