Stagecrafters bring live show safely outdoors in ‘Working’

Stagecrafters booked a Second Stage production of “Working— A Musical,” as a joint venture with Ridgedale Players. But then the COVID-19 pandemic arrived, and theaters were shuttered in March.

Rather than giving up, the theater groups went to work themselves, gearing up to present a special, outdoor performance of in Troy. Stagecrafters brought the show back in an openair setting on the Ridgedale Players grounds, in a move to offer a safe, socially distant event.

“Working — A Musical” is based on the nonfiction book by StudsTerkel. Director Ryan Lawson read the book in high school and loved it. When he found out it was adapted to a musical play, he wanted to direct it.

“The original book by Terkel is a collection of interviews of people telling the stories of what they did all day,” Lawson explains. “It’s really a story of Americans speaking. I love the concept of ordinary people telling the story of what makes them who they are. This isn’t a book about heroes, or about events that may never happen. These are stories of all of us.”

Shutting down the show last March was a devastating blow for Lawson and company, but he’s thrilled Stagecrafters figured out a way to bring the musical back in 2020.

“We had our show close three hours before we were supposed to open,” he says. “Emotionally, that was pretty tough. I felt like I had a responsibility to the cast and crew to fight to give them a chance to perform the show that they worked so hard on.

“The good news was that while most other shows got canceled, our board of directors made the decision that we were ‘postponed’ rather than canceled. That helped keep the hope alive.”

Lawson says some of the safety restrictions at the show will include seating the audience starting about 30 feet back from the performers, and each party getting a designated area for seating, with 8- to 10-foot