Never before has a labor dispute been so much fun.
The Not So Common Players of Clifton Park are performing their annual summer show, The Pajama Game based on the 1953 book `7 1/2 cents` by Richard Bissell.
The performances are over two weekends, with four shows remaining at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday through Sunday, July 19 to 22. Attendance is free at the Clifton Park Commons stage on Vischer Ferry Road.
The musical, which won Tony Awards in 1955 and 2006, is based on a labor dispute between pajama factory workers, who demand a raise, and the factory’s owner.
Babe, the spunky factory worker, supports her union’s efforts to slow work at the factory until the raise is given, but Sid, the factory’s superintendent, demands an honest day’s work.
The love interest that develops between the two is tested when they find themselves on opposite sides of the issue.
Chuck Conroy, who is making his first appearance with the Not So Common Players, plays Sid.
`No matter what goes on between two people, as long as you care about each other, there’s a way to figure out it,` Conroy said. `One of the things Sid talks about in the show is compromise, and that’s what relationships are all about.`
Tara Treffiletti, also making her first performance with the group, plays the other lead character, Babe.
`For me, the big take-away is to try to understand what life was actually like for people who worked in a factory in the ’50s,` Treffiletti said. `It’s relatable to anyone who has dealt with any injustice.`
The Not So Common Players were founded in 2001 by Jennifer Bullington, who plays Mabel in `The Pajama Game,` and Yvonne Masse. The group’s funding comes entirely from the town of Clifton Park.
`They are 100 percent supportive of everything we do, and it’s virtually unheard of,` said Sally Burke, a member of the group’s board. `You just don’t hear of towns supporting an art like that. We’re eternally grateful.`
Burke said the annual budget for the group ranges between $40,000 and $50,000.
The mostly volunteer group performs shows in the spring, summer, and fall. The fall and spring shows are indoors in the Shenendehowa school district, while the summer show is outdoors at the commons.
Burke said the average attendance across the seven performances of the summer show is 2,200.
Debbie May, who has directed `South Pacific,` `Annie Get Your Gun,` and `Guys and Dolls` for the Not So Common Players in the past said the musical was good for a summer audience.
`There’s absolutely no hidden meaning. It’s good, wholesome entertainment,` May said. `The music is peppy; it takes you back to the 50s.`
Many families volunteer with the Not So Common Players, including Robin and Jeff Patnode and their children, Kellie, 12, and Thomas, 15.
The family works on the technical aspects of the musical, with Kellie and Thomas on the spotlight and Robin and Jeff on audio. They have been with the Not So Common Players for three years.
Jeff said the musical had special meaning for him and his wife. They met at a paper mill where Robin’s father was a blue-collar worker and Jeff’s father was white collar.
Kellie said she learned a lot from working on the musical.
`I know that girls get a lot more equal pay than they did 50 years ago and they’re allowed to wear casual things to work and not dresses,` she said.
Although the characters in the play are straightforward, Bullington said the play has an important message.
`Two people who you don’t think are perfect for each other can actually be the perfect couple,` she said.
For information, visit cliftonpark.org.“
