A strong-willed widowed mother, always underappreciated but never underworked. A young woman whose southern twang takes nothing from her true intelligence. A kind but determined ‘new girl’ ready for her new life. Three women, one office, an egocentric boss, and the last thing you could expect to happen.
With seven total performances, Westford Academy Theater Arts (WATA) takes in the end the production of their latest spring musical 9 to 5, with their final showing on Saturday, May 4 at 7:00 p.m. in the Performing Arts Center. Directed and choreographed by WA alumnus, Ariana Feliciano, the plot centers on female voices weaved into the witty and entertaining script.
Set in the late 70s, the plot follows three women from different backgrounds who wind up working together as secretaries under the management of an entirely male board. The leading characters Violet Newstead, Doralee Rhodes, and Judy Bernly are played by senior Megan Metivier and juniors Carissa Wong and Ruby Davis, respectively.
“I think the uniqueness of the play has made this process really enjoyable, and we always joke that we are characters, but I think that [the characters] have been pretty spot on […],” Davis said. “It’s really fun to [act as] these characters, and with the whole set and everything, it’s just different than anything we’ve done before.”
The story of revenge, comedy, love, and determination ultimately originates from the 1980 film, 9 to 5, written by and starring singer Dolly Parton. A main portion of the musical is centered on their struggle to be treated as equals to their male counterparts and make improvements to their company, all while managing the mess of their “sexist, egotistical, lying, hypocritical, bigot” boss, as Parton puts it.
“When I was first told about this [production], I was told it was going to be this little, small spring show. But when I chose this show, I was like, let’s play to the demographic of the WATA students that we have and I think that [in] a lot of shows that we do, a lot of the main characters don’t feature women as much,” Feliciano said. “And so that’s why it was like this is a very important show to do. […] This show is not done that much. And if it is, it’s done by colleges. But I thought it’s an appropriate topic to bring up now and to share with our community.”
For Feliciano, this show is one of many firsts. Taking up dancing at an early age, she had only ever choreographed for WATA during her time at WA. And while she has most recently come back to help choreograph the musical Mean Girls, she had never taken a role as director. As she entered the production process of 9 to 5, balancing both positions quickly proved to be a busy task. Still, she has quickly become an embodiment of female leadership reflected in the musical, adapting to this new challenge.
“I’ve learned that it takes a lot. […] You don’t just throw a bunch of kids on stage, put on some lights, [and] tell them to sing a song, there’s a lot that goes into the process behind it,” Feliciano said. “This is my first time [directing], and I’m so appreciative and grateful towards my students who gave me the patience and the stage to grow and to learn myself. So they’ve made this process beautiful for me, but honestly I’ve just learned that it takes a village.”
Starting rehearsals in January, the cast and crew showed no lack of devotion to the project. Meeting after school nearly every day, they quickly grew into an even tighter-knit community. However, many attest that the most challenging part of the process was tech week, or the week leading up to opening night.
“I think that Ariana really helped to bring us all together. During our tech week, which is usually the most draining thing, it was like nine to five every single day on April break, and it was very tiring. But she had this whole schedule that told us like she’s going to be the leader and this is how it’s going to work,” Wong said. “We would take an hour of just sitting outside relaxing, debriefing about our day, getting to know each other, and playing dodgeball and kickball. […] It was just a good time to bond, and then near the end of the show we’re all just one close family.”
Despite the extravagant kidnapping component to the plot, the simple yet vibrant scenery truly allows the students to tell the story. In the end, the women are partially awarded through an indirect promotion, but are truly still left unrecognized by the workforce around them. This leaves audiences to reflect while also appreciating the meticulously orchestrated theatrics.
“I feel like our friendships outside of the show definitely help our relationships inside the show. But it’s also very different in the show because we also think about the time period we’re in — which, even though all of us are friends, we all have very different experiences,” Metivier said. “And even though we are at the end of the show, you know, women in power, that was a lot harder back then than it is now.”
Despite the sensitive topics that the musical encapsulates, the way it was laced into the WA community was well-thought-out by Feliciano, who had specific stage presence in mind when casting to fully give justice to Parton’s production.
“[Metivier, Davis, and Wong] work beautifully with one another. And their chemistry with one another, it doesn’t stop off stage, it goes beyond. So, I’m just so incredibly proud of them and I definitely cast this the right way. And they were the young women to tell the stories,” Feliciano said.
Now as WATA faces their closing act, she echoes underlying messages to students — urging them to never accept less respect than they deserve, and to be determined to reach the goals they set for themselves.
“It’s a sensitive topic, and it’s not a fun one. But it’s one that we need to talk about again, and we need to continue to bring up because this is something that a lot of people and a lot of young women will experience growing up […],” Feliciano said. “But just knowing that you will always be able to come out on top no matter what you do. And whatever you put your mind to you can do it no matter who in the room tells you you can’t.”
