Temp Slave the musical
By Catherine Capellaro and Andrew Rohn
Music and Lyrics by Andrew Rohn
Directed by Deanna Reed.
Choreographed by SaRa Schabach
Temp Slave, a rollicking musical comedy, is a tribute to America's disposable workers. In this modern-day fairy tale, five plucky temps discover and foil an evil senator's plot. The musical was inspired by the popular zine ìTemp Slave,î published by Jeff Kelly, which has been documenting the travails of temp workers since the early 1990s.
After filling theaters to capacity in Madison, Temp Slave is revamping and going on tour to San Francisco this summer for Laborfest 2001. In preparation for that tour, Mercury will present ONE SINGLE PERFORMANCE of the show, at Madison's Barrymore Theater.
For more information, check out the Temp Slave web site!
Produced by Mercury Players at the Barrymore Theater, 2090 Atwood Avenue, Madison, WI 53704
Performances: July 17, 2001, 7:30 pm
Tickets: $13 in advance/ $15 at the door.
MADISON--Barrymore ticket outlets: The Exclusive Company, Strictly Discs, Deep Grooves, Magic Mill, Star Liquor, and Green Earth. Barrymore box office: 608-241-8633.
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The Cast
The cast of Temp Slave includes Ken Adams, Nikki Andrews, Chris Babiarz, Catherine Capellaro, Buck Hakes, Jake Jacobson, Rob Moccerro, Bob Moore, Kara Peterson, Andrew Rohn, SaRa Schabach, Shani Stewart, and Marcy Weiland.
For more information: Catherine Capellaro capellar@chorus.net
SAN FRANCISCO--
Laborfest performance dates:South of Market Cultural Center -- 934 Brannon (at 8th St.) San Francisco
- Sunday, July 22nd -- 2:00 p.m., 7:30 p.m.
- Friday, July 27th -- 7:30 p.m.
- Sunday, July 29th -- 2:00 p.m., 7:30 p.m.
La Pena Cultural Center -- 3105 Shattuck/Prince St. Berkeley
- Tuesday, July 24th -- 7:30 p.m
Laborfest box office: (415) 642-8066
For more information about Laborfest.
The story
"Temp Slave, the musical" begins in the offices of PeoplePower, a temp agency and the world's largest employer. There we meet our five protagonists. Melissa, a journalist, gets an assignment at a chaotic investment firm where three bumbling bosses expect her to build a computer. Alexis, a bohemian computer whiz, takes an "acting" job -- as a chicken handing out cracker samples. Her boyfriend Eddie is a musician whose attempts to avoid work at all costs drive him to be the subject of medical experiments. Maggie is a single mom in a welfare-to-work program who ends up as a taster in a cookie factory. And Sam is a reluctant lawyer who can't ever get to the phone in time to get his temp assignments.
We also meet Dick Solomon, CEO of Peoplepower, lunching with sinister Senator Bob Hartman, who reveals his plan to replace union workers with temps nationwide.
After the temps' assignments fail disastrously, they end up temping at the Freedom Institute, which turns out to be a right-wing think tank run by Senator Hartman. There they discover Hartman's plot, and set out to sabotage it.
Temp Slave is a tribute to America's low-wage workers. It uses humor and satire to explode myths about the modern economy and the disposable workers who populate its lowest rungs. The play was inspired by the popular zine Temp Slave, published by Jeff Kelly, which has been documenting the travails of temp workers since the early 1990s.
What people are saying about Temp Slave
"Temp Slave" is a comedy-with an edge. It is good comedy, but beneath the humor is more reality than some would like to accept."
--David Newby
President, Wisconsin State AFL-CIO
"It's not every day that a vehicle comes along that can help change the climate of America toward justice for workers. But "Temp Slave" is just such a vehicle. I've seen the play twice, and both times I was blown away."
--Matt Rothschild
editor The Progressive
It's not often that something so illuminating is also so much fun!
--Barbara Ehrenreich
"delightfully rambunctious, making a powerful statement with zest and humor"
--Howard Zinn
author of "A People's History of the United States"
About the Playwrights
Catherine Capellaro is a performer, journalist and political activist in Madison, Wis. In addition to performing in "Temp Slave," she has appeared in numberous plays and musicals in Madison, including playing Janis Joplin in a Broom Street Theatre show. She has worked as a freelance magazine and newpaper journalist, and has anchored both local and community radio news programs. She has also produced radio theater, and played trumpet and sang in The Merkins, a bluegrass-funk ensemble. Capellaro is the former associate editor of the Progressive Media Project, an affiliate of The Progressive magazine.
Andrew Rohn began writing for musical theater in 1991, writing the score and performing as an actor and musician in several local theater productions. He has created theme music for radio and T.V. shows, including projects for The Onion newspaper, and a film, "Spaceman." He has also performed as a keyboardist, drummer and vocalist in various rock, funk, jazz and bluegrass ensembles including MUFA, The Merkins, Urban Myth, Beady Process and The New Black.
They are the parents of twin boys, Leo and Julian, who will be traveling with the show.
About the Director
Deanna Reed, in addition to her college acting, performed for several years at the Store Front Theatre in Chicago, IL. Deanna has directed several shows and is very excited about taking the Madison born Temp Slave on the road. She now happily resides in the small Norwegian town of Stoughton, outside of Madison, where she avoids the Norwegian delicacy, lutefisk. She and her husband Doug homeschool their two remarkable children, Ilsa and Laszlo.
About the Choreographer
SaRa Schabach was most recently seen playing Sara in "Stop Kiss." Some of her roles include Aldonza in "Man of LaMancha," Reno in "Anything Goes," Lola in "Damn Yankees," and Maggie in "Dancing at Lughnasa." She was a co-choreographer for "Peter Pan," and choreographer for "The Birds," and "Nunsense," which were all performed in the Fox Valley area of Wisconsin. She studied acting at the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh, and with private coaches in New York City where she also performed Carol in "White Liars/Black Comedy," Amy Lee Bradley in "Laundry and Bourbon," and "Godspell." She would like to thank her ever-supporting parents and husband for all their love and inspiration.