The show “9 to 5, The Musical,” based on the movie starring Dolly Parton, is running at the Fairchild Theatre through Feb. 23.
“9 to 5, The Musical” is a showcase of the effort of so many different students and faculty members — from the actors to the designers. The Department of Theatre covers all aspects of theater. With courses in acting, musical theater, costume design, stage management and more, the students can lead areas of Department of Theater productions with faculty mentors.
Karen Kangas-Preston is the mentor for “9 to 5, The Musical” costuming department. Kangas-Preston has been with the department for 25 years and has been a mentor for so many students coming through the program.
“I am with the students, really from day one, as they are working on the process,” Kangas-Preston said. “So, from reading the script, talking about ideas, the production process for theater productions is a series of meetings with the director and the rest of the production team.”
The Department of Theatre at MSU is known for its mentorship programs. Every step of the way, each theater student has several opportunities to choose from.
“One of the things in the Department of Theatre that we sort of pride ourselves on is a strong mentorship with our design students,” Kangas-Preston said. “I want to make sure that they have a designated time every week with me to talk about the next steps, and that looks a little something different for each student”
El Stucker is a master’s student in costume design and is the lead costume designer for “9 to 5, The Musical.” Stucker says the theater process is a very collaborative process.
“We started last semester, kind of mid-semester, worked over the break, kind of bridge the gap between the two semesters, and then continued out until now,” Stucker said. “The process is definitely collaborative amongst all of the designers. That’s the best part about designing for theater and theater in general, we say it’s one of the most collaborative things in the world that you can work on. My costumes don’t get seen on the stage if there’s no lighting.”
Stucker was drawn to MSU for costume design through one of her professors.
“At Michigan State University, theatrical design has great capabilities moving forward to the future, and I’d say holding that space for those students that have great talent, immense talent, that bring these pieces to life on stage, not only our actors and our directors, but also our designers,” Stucker said.
Katherin “Kat” Poon, the assistant costume designer and the hair and makeup designer, researched through imagery and took inspiration from the movie. Poon used this inspiration to assist with the costumes.
“The moments that we really got to play with and diverge and create our own stamp on it was the fact that it is a staged musical and not a filmed movie,” Poon said, “We got to play with a lot of a lot more brighter colors, especially in Act Two.”
Poon wants those who see the show to feel empowered and confident.
“I hope people want to support the community after the show,” Poon said. “We’re partnering with the Lansing Women’s Center, and we’re taking donations for health and beauty products and lightly used business wear.”
