by Darius Davila| Staff writer

As the beginning of a new year draws closer, the Johnson theatre department  has chosen to bring something new and different to the stage along with it.

“We will be doing the musical ‘Working,’” theatre teacher Suzanne Martin said. “It is written by Steven Schwartz who has also written the play ‘Wicked”’.

However, this play will be different from all the past performances that the theatre department has done, by casting into new territories and taking new risks.

“This musical is very different from what we have done in the past; it is an ensemble piece about working class, American people. It’s based off of the novel ‘Terkel’. The whole play consists of interviews with working people and it is also different in that there is no lead role,” Martin said.

Performing cast members have good expectations and believe that the musical will receive a positive reaction.

“I think the audience will really enjoy this musical because it has a very diverse group of people singing about their jobs and how much they hate it. It’s something that both students and adults can relate to,” junior Erik Ghent said.

Those involved in the production of “Working” feel that the message the play is going to give is a very positive one.

“This musical is truly great and different; it follows characters and their lives. There is no story or plot per say,” theatre teacher Jay Asterman said. “It is simply a look at the working class individuals and the goods, the bads, and the uglies that come with it. I think it teaches us to always try and find the positive side of things, especially jobs.”

Tickets for “Working” are expected to go on sale sometime in January.

“The performance of the musical will begin on January 22nd through the 25th,” junior Madi Cooper said. “I believe that this will be a performance that the audience can relate to and appreciate because of its realness and just the fact that it’s about everyday people.”

This upcoming performance is expected to be an unforgettable one.

“’Working’ is an unforgettable play, woven from the stories of everyday Americans,” Martin said.