9 to 5

In This Program

• About the Show
• Credits
• Musical Numbers
• A Note from Adam Immerwahr, Artistic Director
• Who’s Who
• Working 9 to 5 on 9 to 5: The behind-the-scenes puzzle of building a workplace that sings
• Behind the Scenes with Mark Emerson and Baskerville: A
  Sherlock Holmes Mystery
• Sponsor Spotlights
• Print Edition
• More About Village Theatre

About the Show

ADAM IMMERWAHR, Artistic Director

DEREK WATANABE, Managing Director

Music and Lyrics by

DOLLY PARTON

Book by

PATRICIA RESNICK

Based on the 20th Century Fox Picture
Originally produced on Broadway by Robert Greenblatt, April 2009

Orchestrations by

BRUCE COUGHLIN

Arrangements and Additional Orchestrations by

STEPHEN OREMUS and ALEX LACAMOIRE

Francis J. Gaudette Theatre
November 18, 2025–January 4, 2026

Everett Performing Arts Center
January 10–February 8, 2026

Set Designer
PAIGE HATHAWAY

Costume Designer
ESTHER GARCIA

Lighting Designer
YAEL LUBETZKY

Sound Designer
ELISABETH WEIDNER

Stage Manager
MIRANDA MIKOLAIZIK*

Music Director
R.J. TANCIOCO

Choreographer
DANIEL CRUZ

Director
KATY TABB

9 to 5 is presented through special arrangement with Music Theatre International (MTI).
All authorized performance materials are also supplied by MTI. 
www.MTISHOWS.com

 Any video and/or audio recording of this production is strictly prohibited.

Setting

The offices of Consolidated Industries. 1979.

Season Sponsors

4Culture
Artsfund
Boeing
Microsoft
Enzo's Bistro & Bar
Hook & Cleaver | Lombardi's Italian Restaurant and Bar

Producing Sponsors

Everett, WA
City of Issaquah Arts Commission
Seattle NorthCountry, made possible in part by assistance from the Snohomish

Show Sponsors

KCTS9
SanMar
Wm Grassie Wine Estates

Credits

*The Actors and Stage Managers are members of the Actors’ Equity Association, the Union of Professional Actors and Stage Managers in the United States. 

Special Thanks

Rod “Red” Gibson, Christie Lites Seattle
Seattle Theatre Group
Totem Lake Shoe Repair
White Barn Decor

Musical Numbers

Act I

“9 to 5”
Company

“Around Here”
Violet, Judy, Ensemble

“Here for You”
Franklin Hart Jr.

“Here for You (Reprise)”
Franklin Hart Jr.

“I Just Might”
Judy, Doralee and Violet

“Backwoods Barbie”
Doralee

“Heart to Hart”
Roz and Ensemble

“Dance of Death”
Judy, Franklin Hart Jr., Ensemble

“Cowgirl's Revenge”
Doralee, Franklin Hart Jr., Ensemble

“Potion Notion”
Violet, Franklin Hart Jr., Ensemble

“Joy to the Girls”
Ensemble

“Shine Like the Sun”
Company

Act II

Entr’acte
Orchestra

“One of the Boys”
Violet and Ensemble

“5 to 9”
Roz

“Change It”
Doralee, Violet, Judy, Ensemble

“Let Love Grow”
Joe and Violet

“Get Out and Stay Out”
Judy

“Finale: 9 to 5”
Company

Dear Patrons,

9 to 5 takes us back in time, to the era of rolodexes, shag rugs, and pet rocks. Based on the 1980 hit film, this musical comedy shows us both how far our world has come in the last four and a half decades, and how little has changed. While language, nuance, and approaches have evolved, workplace inequality persists. Although women consistently outperform men in formal educational settings (earning the majority of bachelors, masters, and doctoral degrees), they still face gender pay gaps, limited advancement, caregiving burdens, discrimination, and harassment, issues often intensified for women of color. In too many ways, the story of 9 to 5 remains as relevant today as when it was written.

This production is directed by Katy Tabb, a longtime collaborator of Village Theatre. Katy started as a performer (in The Producers), quickly advancing to dance captain and associate choreographer. She then began choreographing for our youth programs, earning recognition from our longtime Artistic Director, Steve Tomkins, who hired her as a choreographer for Billy Elliot—the first of many Mainstage shows she’s choreographed, including Brigadoon and Legally Blonde: The Musical. When I joined Village, Katy was the first artist I reached out to, and when she told me she wanted to move into directing, I was thrilled. She’s since directed a standout youth production of Guys & Dolls at our Everett venue, and served as Associate Director for Dial M for Murder. I am proud to introduce her as the director of her first Mainstage production at Village Theatre.

Katy is not alone as a woman at the helm of a production at Village Theatre. I’m pleased to say that in the last four seasons, 50% of our Mainstage productions have been directed by women—including hits like Legally Blonde: The Musical and Beautiful: The Carole King Musical. Extraordinary directors like this season’s Karen Lund (Brigadoon), Katy Tabb (9 to 5), and Lisa Shriver (Grease) are helping us write a new, more equitable story for Village Theatre.

Enjoy 9 to 5, and I look forward to seeing you in the lobby!

Yours,

Adam Immerwahr       
Artistic Director              

Who’s Who

Cast

ANIA BRIGGS, she/her (Maria, Ensemble) is thrilled to be back at Village! Some of her favorite roles include: Chiffon in Little Shop of Horrors (Village Theatre); Rita in White Christmas (The 5th Avenue Theatre); and Fabian in Twelfth Night (Seattle Shakespeare Company). Ania wants to thank her family, friends, and loving fiancé for their support. As always, this one is for Michelle.

KRISTIN BURCH, (Doralee Rhodes) is positively jazzed to be part of this amazing show! Previously at Village Theatre: Serena and u/s Elle in Legally Blonde: The Musical. Select credits: Disney’s The Hunchback of Notre Dame, Rock of Ages, White Christmas (The 5th Avenue Theatre); Andrina in Disney’s The Little Mermaid (national tour). Anybodys in West Side Story (international tour). Endless love to her daughter Sienna, Mom & Dad, shout out to TJ’s #156 crew! For Lynda. Instagram: @kristinburch “If you see someone without a smile, give them one of yours!” -Dolly Parton

KOOPER CAMPBELL, he/him (Josh, Ensemble) is so excited to be working at Village Theatre once again. Kooper just played Joe Pesci in Jersey Boys this spring. Select roles: Jack Dawson in Titanish (Seattle Public Theater); Soldier in Spirit Parlour (Cafe Nordo/Nebula); and Linus in Charlie Brown Christmas (Taproot Theatre). Kooper couldn’t do it without the support of Juliette and their two kitties, Snufkin and Toodles. koopercampbell.com

ETHAN CARPENTER, (Bob Enright, Ensemble). This is Ethan’s first time working in an “office,” and his 12th Mainstage show with Village Theatre! Recently: Jersey Boys, Legally Blonde: The Musical, and William Clark in Lewis Loves Clark at The Festival of New Musicals. The 5th Avenue Theatre favorites: Disney’s The Little Mermaid and Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street. Thank you for taking a break from your streaming to support live theater!

SARAH ROSE DAVIS, she/her (Judy Bernly) is honored to add Judy Bernly to the list of iconic women she has portrayed on Village Theatre’s stage, notably seen as Carole King, Fanny Brice and Mary Delgado. Sarah has performed and starred in over 30 shows at The 5th Avenue Theatre including Linda Mason in Holiday Inn, Maggie in A Chorus Line, Rosemary in How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying, and Hope in Urinetown. Love to CK & DV. @sarahrosedavis

BETH DEVRIES, (Violet Newstead). Select Village credits: Velma in Hairspray, Sue in Snapshots, Fantine in Les Misérables, Anna in The King and I, Marian in The Music Man. Other local credits include Lorraine Gray in Bruce (Seattle Rep), Diana in Next to Normal (Balagan Theatre), Laura in Goblin Market (ACT Theatre), and many shows at The 5th Ave Theatre, Seattle Children’s Theatre, Showtunes Theatre Company, Book-It Repertory Theatre and others. Elsewhere, Beth has performed in California, Arizona, New York, and Michigan, and she has been heard or seen in dozens of voiceovers, audiobooks, and commercials.

MATTHEW KACERGIS, he/him (Joe, Ensemble) is so thrilled to return to Village! Previously: Tony in Billy Elliot, Marius in Les Misérables (Village Theatre); Younger Brother in Ragtime, Prince Eric in Disney’s The Little Mermaid (The 5th Avenue Theatre); Joe Gillis in Sunset Boulevard (Showtunes Theatre Company). Recently: Pomatter in Waitress (Skylight Music Theatre). Matthew is the Artistic Director of the Great Lakes Center for the Arts, where he’s directed Mamma Mia!, Godspell, and Jersey Boys. Proud Equity Member. Love to Katy and Daisy. MatthewKacergis.com

BOBBI KOTULA, she/her (Roz Keith). Last seen at Village as Dolly Levi, Bobbi’s detailed and joyous portrayals of characters she’s lucky to have played are: Mrs. Warren, Mrs. Brill, Mrs. Potts, Mrs. Noah, Mrs. Fezziwig, Mrs. Brice, Mrs. Sullivan, Miss Hannigan, Molly Brown, Peter Pan, Golde, Hildret, and more. Film & TV: Cheap AF, Norman, 21 & Over, Drain, The Deadline, Amazing Grace, The Fugitive. More at bobbikotula.com. Thanks for supporting live theater.

ALYSSA HOPE MAAS, she/her (Missy, Ensemble, u/s Doralee) is over the moon to be making her Village debut! A 2024 Gregory Award nominee for her portrayal of Vicki in The Full Monty, other roles include Audrey in Little Shop of Horrors, Lucy in Jekyll & Hyde, Amneris in Aida, and Kate Monster in Avenue Q. BFA in musical theater from Central Washington University, and she is well known as “the cookie lady.” See her work @bitpartbakery. Love to Mom, family and friends on and off the stage, and her gentleman suitor: Matthew.

TRINA MILLS, (Kathy, Ensemble) is thrilled to be back at Village Theatre! A Seattleite, Mills’ regional acting credits include Paulette in Legally Blonde: The Musical and Tanya in Mamma Mia! (Village Theatre); Sheila in A Chorus Line and Glinda in The Wiz (The 5th Avenue Theatre); Evita and Jesus Christ Superstar (Asolo Repertory Theatre); Jersey Boys and Chess (The Muny); Cabaret (The Old Globe Theatre); The Who’s Tommy (The Kennedy Center).

TAYLOR NIEMEYER-SYMONS, she/her (New Employee, Ensemble, u/s Judy) is thrilled to be back on the Village Theatre stage after last being seen understudying the role of Carole King in Beautiful: The Carole King Musical. Favorite past Village Theatre credits: Olive Ostrovsky in The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, Katherine Plumber in Disney’s Newsies, Mary Jane in Big River, and Winnie Tate in Annie Get Your Gun. Love and endless gratitude to Tim, Cedar and Winslow!
@taylorkaysymons

BRANDON O’NEILL, he/him (Franklin Hart Jr.). Previous Village Theatre appearances: Camelot, Ken Ludwig’s Sherwood: The Adventures of Robin Hood. Broadway: Disney’s Aladdin (Original Broadway Cast), A Bronx Tale (first replacement), Disney’s Aladdin: Live from the West End (upcoming film release). Select regional: Dracula, Oslo, Pride & Prejudice, A View from the Bridge, Assassins, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, Beatrice and Benedict, Sondheim at the Pops. Voice of “Crow” in Bungie’s Destiny. brandon-oneill.com

CY PAOLANTONIO, she/her (Margaret, Ensemble, Fight Captain). Select credits: Brooke Wyndham in Legally Blonde: The Musical (Village Theatre); Meg in Little Women (Seattle Rep, Milwaukee Repertory Theatre); Trixie in Knuffle Bunny (The Kennedy Center, The Arad Fort, Bahrain); Ellen in Oklahoma! (Arena Stage). Cy has also performed/choreographed for film/commercials and theaters around the country. Wilde Award for Outstanding Choreography: Ragtime (Flint Repertory Theatre), where she also choreographed Godspell in a custom-built pool.

CHARLES SIMMONS, he/him (Doctor, Ensemble) is a Performing Artist from Tacoma, WA and is honored to return to Village’s stage with such a fun show! Previous credits include The Color Purple, Legally Blonde: The Musical, Beautiful: The Carole King Musical, Dreamgirls, Hairspray, You’re A Good Man, Charlie Brown (Village Theatre), Disney’s Beauty and the Beast, and The Wiz (The 5th Avenue Theatre). IG: @Shiemmons18

JEFFERY WALLACE, he/him (Dwayne, Ensemble, u/s Joe) is thrilled to return to Village Theatre. Previous credits include Legally Blonde: The Musical, Once on This Island, Beautiful: The Carole King Musical, and Hello, Dolly! (Village Theatre), and The Last Five Years (The 5th Avenue Theatre & ACT Theatre). Off stage, Jeff works as an interior and event designer. He is grateful to share his God-given gifts and deeply thankful for the endless love and support of his family, friends, and partner. IG: @JBrianjr_

JASON WEITKAMP, (Dick, Detective, Ensemble, u/s Hart). What a joy to return to Village Theatre after previously performing in Beautiful: The Carole King Musical, Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Cinderella, You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown, and Lewis Loves Clark! Other recent credits: Disney’s Beauty and the Beast, Disney’s The Little Mermaid, Waitress, Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street, Bye Bye Birdie (The 5th Ave Theatre), The Addams Family, Ragtime, Sunset Boulevard (Broadway at Music Circus). Thank you for supporting live theater!!!

SHELBY WILLIS, she/her (Candy Striper, Ensemble, Dance Captain) is thrilled to perform in Village Theatre’s 9 to 5! Past Village credits: In the Heights, My Fair Lady, Singin’ in the Rain, Hello, Dolly!, Dreamgirls, Legally Blonde: The Musical. Other credits: The 5th Avenue Theatre’s White Christmas, Disney’s The Little Mermaid, The Wiz, Disney’s Beauty and the Beast. Excited to share the stage with her dad again—love you Zach/Fam-Bam. Please enjoy the show!

TY WILLIS, (Tinsworthy, Ensemble) is pleased to be returning to Village Theatre’s stage. Past Village productions include: Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, Singin’ in the Rain, Showboat, On the Town, Grease, Peter Pan and Anything Goes to name a few. Tours: Miss Saigon, My One and Only and Dreamgirls. Regionals: Bye Bye Birdie, Golden, Disney’s Mary Poppins, White Christmas, Shout Sister Shout, Kiss Me Kate, Ragtime. Thank you for supporting live theatre and enjoy the show.

Understudies

NATALYA CZOSNYKA, she/her (Swing) is thrilled to be making her Village Theatre debut! Performing credits: Twelfth Night (Seattle Shakespeare Company). Choreography credits: Cats (Woodland Park Players), Hadestown (Ballard High School). Outside performing, Natalya is a theater educator and choreographer. Massive thanks to her family and baby boy Blue for their constant support and love!

KEKOA DILAY, he/him (Swing) is ecstatic to be back at Village alongside so many friends! Professional credits: Legally Blonde: The Musical (Village Theatre) and Bye Bye Birdie (The 5th Avenue Theatre). He is a director, choreographer and teaching artist in the Seattle area. Most recently, he was the director of Shrek the Musical JR. with Village Theatre’s KIDSTAGE. All the love to his family! @kekoadilay

MARIESA GENZALE, she/they (Swing) is honored to make her Village debut with this stellar group! Select credits: Adrian in Rocky (Tacoma Little Theatre), Lulu/Dance Captain in Cabaret, Dance Captain in Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (Harlequin/Olympia Symphony Orchestra), and Lucy in Dracula (Renton Civic Theatre). Offstage, they can be found working in mental healthcare, crafting, or snuggling their cat Hiccup. BFA MT MMC, former Village Theatre’s KIDSTAGE kid. Love to mom! mariesagenzale.com

CRISTIN J. HUBBARD, she/her (u/s Violet, u/s Roz). At Village Theatre: Beta Series – Eastbound. The 5th Avenue Theatre: Miss Andrew/Bird Woman in Disney’s Mary Poppins, Ms. Jones in How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying. Broadway: The Phantom of the Opera, The Pirate Queen. Seattle Public Theater: Macbeth: A Rock Musical and Vanishing Point. Seattle University MFA in arts leadership, Oberlin College & Conservatory. Writer, director, teacher, and arts advocate. Proud union member and parent of Lila and Ivy. Cristinjhubbard.com

JOSH WINGERTER, (Swing) was last seen at Village Theatre in Hello, Dolly! with other past shows including: Aida, The Who’s Tommy, Evita, and more. Recent productions include Adam Worthington in Miss Holmes Returns and Shylock in Something Rotten (Centerstage Theatre). He’s grateful for all the love and support from his wife Natalie, as well as all his friends and family.

Creative Team

KATY TABB, she/her (Director) is honored to make her mainstage directorial debut at Village Theatre after choreographing Brigadoon, Legally Blonde: The Musical, The Fantasticks, Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Cinderella, Mamma Mia!, Singin’ in the Rain, Billy Elliot, ZM, and Disney’s Newsies (Gregory Award recipient). Katy’s work has been presented at The 5th Avenue Theatre, Theatre Aspen, The Great Lakes Center for the Arts, Olney Theatre Center, Interlochen Center for the Arts, Seattle Symphony, Cornish College of the Arts, The Triple Door, Taproot Theatre, and Showtunes Theatre Company. Katy would like to share her deepest gratitude to Village Theatre for this opportunity, to the mentors and artists that have guided and inspired her, to her family, Matthew, Daisy, and YOU for supporting live theater.

R.J. TANCIOCO, he/him (Music Director/Key 1/Conductor). Select musical direction credits include: Jersey Boys, Beautiful: The Carole King Musical, Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Cinderella, You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown, She Loves Me, In the Heights, Hairspray, Disney’s Newsies, Dreamgirls (Village Theatre); The Last Five Years, Spring Awakening, Disney’s The Little Mermaid, Into the Woods, Disney’s Beauty and the Beast, Urinetown, Mamma Mia!, Jasper in Deadland, Little Shop of Horrors, RENT, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, Smokey Joe’s Cafe, Hair (The 5th Avenue Theatre); The Winter’s Tale, As You Like It, The Odyssey, Here Lies Love (Seattle Rep); A Christmas Carol (ACT Theatre); Twelfth Night (Seattle Shakespeare Company); Head Over Heels, Violet, American Idiot (ArtsWest); The Spitfire Grill (Showtunes Theatre Company); Sister Act, Daddy Long Legs, Bright Star (Taproot Theatre). A 2010 Gregory Award and 2011/2014 Gypsy Rose Lee award recipient, Tancioco is a vocal coach, arranger, and composer who enjoys educating theater to youth and cultivating new musicals.  For Patric, my “9-5” and “5-9.”  Let love grow.

DANIEL CRUZ, (Choreographer) is delighted to return to Village Theatre after serving as the Associate Choreographer in Jersey Boys, Legally Blonde: The Musical, Beautiful: The Carole King Musical, Disney’s Beauty and the Beast and the Choreographer in Dreamgirls, In the Heights, Big River, Jesus Christ Superstar. Other credits include The 5th Avenue Theatre’s Rent (Choreographer), Pippin (Assistant Choreographer), his work with the Seattle Seahawks, Seattle Theatre Group, Hello Kitty, Dance Bulgaria, World of Hip Hop, Microsoft, Nordstrom, Valve and video game Destiny.

PAIGE HATHAWAY, she/her (Scenic Designer). Village Theatre: Dial M for Murder, Becoming Dr. Ruth. Regional: Deceived (The Old Globe Theatre); The Mirror Crack’d (Alley Theatre); Disney’s Mary Poppins, The Sound of Music, Matilda, Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Cinderella (The Muny); The Three Musketeers (Cleveland Play House); Rent, Assassins (Arden Theatre Company). DC Area: Strategic Love Play, Hair, Penelope (Signature Theatre); Sister Act, Little Shop of Horrors (Ford’s Theatre); Sojourners, The Mountaintop (Round House Theatre); Disney’s Frozen (Olney Theatre); Art, Primary Trust, And Then There Were None (Everyman Theatre).  Education: University of Oklahoma: BFA in scenic design; University of Maryland: MFA in scenic design. USA 829.
@paigehathawaydesign, paigehathawaydesign.com

ESTHER GARCIA, she/her (Costume Designer) has designed for opera, modern dance, theater and burlesque, including Village Theatre’s Jersey Boys, Hello, Dolly!, She Loves Me, Million Dollar Quartet and The Fantasticks. Esther has a BFA from the University of Oregon with an emphasis in costume design. She has designed for Taproot Theatre, Eugene Opera, Lord Leebrick Theater, Lane Community College Theater and Dance Department, University of Oregon School of Music. Favorite designs include The Fantasticks, Hello, Dolly!, She Loves Me, Million Dollar Quartet, Pagliacci, Carmen, A Little Night Music, and HMS Pinafore.

YAEL LUBETZKY, (Lighting Designer) returns to Village Theatre having designed last season’s Legally Blonde: The Musical. Recent designs include Joy (Laura Pels Theatre, NYC); Natasha Pierre and The Great Comet of 1812 (Writer’s Theatre, IL: Jeff Award); Beautiful: The Carole King Musical (Riverside Theatre, FL). Design credits include Russell Simmons’ Def Poetry Jam on Broadway and Off-Broadway productions with The New Group, The Public Theater, Playwrights Horizons, Minetta Lane, WP Theatre, Cherry Lane and more. Regional designs include productions at American Conservatory Theatre, The 5th Avenue Theatre, Chicago Shakespeare Theatre, Paramount Theatre, Drury Lane Theatre, Milwaukee Repertory Theatre, Syracuse Stage and others. Dance designs in NYC at The Joyce, and Baryshnikov Arts Center.

ELISABETH WEIDNER, she/her (Sound Designer). Broadway: Associate Sound Designer for Funny Girl. Selected Off-Broadway: American Rot (La Mama Experimental Theatre Club), White Rose and The Magnificent 7 (Theatre Row), F*ck 7th Grade (The Wild Project; Henry Hewes & Broadway World nominee). Pre-Broadway Out of Town: Associate Sound Designer for Water for Elephants (Alliance Theatre), Sound Designer for Hood (Asolo Repertory Theatre). Selected Regional: Little Shop of Horrors (Denver Center for the Performing Arts; Henry Award nominee), Anthony Rapp’s Without You (IMM Theater Tokyo). Affiliations: Local USA 829 IATSE, TSDCA Vice Co-Chair (2020-2024). elisabethanneweidner.com

MIRANDA MIKOLAIZIK, she/her (Stage Manager) is so excited to be working on this show! She is also grateful to be serving as the theatre’s Resident Stage Manager. Miranda has worked on a number of shows at Village since 2014 including Dreamgirls, Matilda the Musical, Songs for a New World, Cabaret and Legally Blonde: The Musical. She also tries to stage manage for The 14/48 Projects whenever possible and loves lifting heavy things. All the love to Chris and the kittens.

ISABELLA LITTLE-MARZIELLO, she/her/ella (Assistant Stage Manager) is thrilled to be back at Village for 9 to 5. Village Theatre: Legally Blonde: The Musical, Beautiful: The Carole King Musical, Hello, Dolly! ACT Theatre: The Last Five Years, STEW. Seattle Children’s Theatre: The Boy Who Kissed the Sky. Isabella holds a B.A. in theater arts from the University of Puget Sound. She sends her endless love & thanks to her friends, family, & husband for their constant love & support.

ETHAN SWIM, he/him (Assistant Stage Manager) is thrilled to be joining such an amazing stage management team! Previous Village Theatre credits include: Brigadoon, Beautiful: The Carole King Musical, Jersey Boys, Les Misérables School Edition (Village Theatre’s KIDSTAGE), and more. Thanks to Drew and family for their constant love and support! “The world is your oyster and we’ll all be Cosmopolitans.” Instagram: @ethan_swim22

DOLLY PARTON, (Music & Lyrics) is considered to be the most successful female country music artist, having released 42 top-10 country albums and earned 25 number-one singles. She has won seven Grammy® awards and received 42 Grammy® nominations. She has also received seven awards from the Academy of Country Music and 10 Country Music Association awards, and is one of only five female artists to win the CMA’s highest honor, “Entertainer of the Year.” Dolly is also an acclaimed movie and television actress, and her literacy program, Dolly Parton’s “Imagination Library,” is now in 566 counties in 36 states. “The woman is one of our national treasures, so let’s cherish her for as long as we’ve got her...this is one Barbie who has always been for real,” wrote Newsweek in 2008. dollyparton.com

PATRICIA RESNICK, (Book) has enjoyed a successful and varied career in film, television, and theater. She wrote the original screenplay for the film 9 to 5, a comedy classic and one of the top-grossing films of all time. Under the tutelage of her mentor Robert Altman, she co-authored A Wedding (British Academy Award and Writer’s Guild nominations) and Quintet starring Paul Newman. Other films include Maxie (Glenn Close) and Straight Talk, which reunited her with Dolly Parton. She has written numerous pilots for television for networks including Showtime, CBS and FX and her seven produced made-for-television movies include The Battle of Mary Kay starring Shirley MacLaine and Parker Posey who both gave Golden Globe-nominated performances. She was the exec producer and head writer of a series based on the children’s book Olivia for the Nick Jr. network. Her theatre work includes her Drama Desk nominated book for the Broadway musical 9 to 5 which garnered four Tony nominations, sketches for Lily Tomlin’s first one-woman Broadway show Appearing Nightly, and a stage musical adaptation of her own PBS movie Ladies in Waiting which originated at the Woodstock (Illinois) Summer Playhouse and later moved to the Lyric Opera House in Chicago. She worked as a consulting producer on the final season of Mad Men and on the ABC Family drama Recovery Road. She is currently working on a 9 to 5 film sequel as well as  being co-executive producer for a new Netflix show based on Armistead Maupin’s Tales of the City.

MUSIC THEATRE INTERNATIONAL (MTI) is one of the world’s leading theatrical licensing agencies, granting theaters from around the world the rights to perform the greatest selection of musicals from Broadway and beyond. Founded in 1952 by composer Frank Loesser and orchestrator Don Walker, MTI is a driving force in advancing musical theatre as a vibrant and engaging art form. MTI works directly with the composers, lyricists and book writers of these musicals to provide official scripts, musical materials and dynamic theatrical resources to over 100,000 professional, community and school theaters in the US and in over 150 countries worldwide. MTI is particularly dedicated to educational theatre, and has created special collections to meet the needs of various types of performers and audiences. MTI’s Broadway Junior® shows are 30- and 60-minute musicals for performance by elementary and middle school-aged performers, while MTI’s School Editions are musicals annotated for performance by high school students. MTI maintains its global headquarters in New York City with additional offices in London (MTI Europe) and Melbourne (MTI Australasia).

ADAM IMMERWAHR, (Artistic Director) is responsible for season selection and also oversees the artistic, education, and production departments. He recently directed Village’s productions of Dial M for Murder, Lerner and Loewe’s Camelot, Ken Ludwig’s Sherwood: The Adventures of Robin Hood, and The Fantasticks. He previously served as Artistic Director of Theater J, the Associate Artistic Director at McCarter Theatre, and the Resident Director of Passage Theatre. Adam’s producing credits include new works by Edward Albee, Christopher Durang, Danai Gurira, Fiasco Theater, Will Power, Stephen Wadsworth, Tarell Alvin McCraney, and Ken Ludwig, several of which have transferred to Broadway or off-Broadway. As a director, Adam’s work has been seen from Aspen to Zimbabwe, including at some of the top theaters in the country: The Public and Theater Row (both for Summer Play Festival), Ensemble Studio Theatre, Walnut Street Theatre, Woolly Mammoth, McCarter Theater, Cleveland Play House, Lyric Theater of Oklahoma, Theater J, Passage Theater, Hangar Theater, Bristol Riverside, and many others. He serves on the Board of the Issaquah Chamber of Commerce and is an inaugural member of the Drama League Director’s Council.

DEREK WATANABE, (Managing Director) has served as the Managing Director of Village Theatre since the beginning of the 2024-25 season and oversees the marketing, finance, fundraising, patron services, operations, and facilities areas of the organization. He has been a long-term champion of Village Theatre, as subscriber (27 years), Board member (15 years), Village Originals member, KIDSTAGE parent, and donor. During his tenure as Board President, he helped lead Village through the construction of the Watjen Technical Studios, Hunt Family Theatre and Cope Gillette Theatre. Originally from Honolulu, Derek moved to the west coast to pursue his bachelor’s and graduate degrees at Pomona College, UCLA, and USC. He and his wife, Anne, have lived in Issaquah for 28 years, where they raised their 3 children. He can be reached at derek@villagetheatre.org.

The Director and Choreographer are members of the STAGE DIRECTORS AND CHOREOGRAPHERS SOCIETY, a national theatrical labor union.

All stage work performed by members of IATSE Local 15.

All costume construction and hair/make-up work is performed by employees represented by IATSE TWU Local #887.

All scenic painting work is performed by employees represented by IATSE Local 488.

United Scenic Artists represents the designers and scenic painters for the American Theatre.

The actors and stage managers employed in this production are members of Actors’ Equity Association, the union of professional actors and stage managers in the United States.

The theatre operates under an agreement with Local 76-493, American Federation of Musicians, AFL-CIO, representing the musicians.

Village Theatre proudly participates in the Theatre Puget Sound presented Gregory Awards for Excellence in Local Performing Arts.

Working 9 to 5 on 9 to 5

The behind-the-scenes puzzle of building a workplace that sings

By Ellen Morgan Peltz

How do you design a set that feels both soul-crushing enough to sell corporate drudgery and spirited enough to keep pace with Dolly Parton’s buoyant score? That was the puzzle facing Village Theatre’s creative team as they prepared to bring 9 to 5 to the stage.

“It’s an interesting challenge,” says director Katy Tabb. “We need to start with an office that’s sterile by design, but not so bleak that the audience is like, wait, is this a Dolly Parton musical or some sort of dystopian nightmare?”

That contradiction runs through the whole production. On the page, the script calls for more than 20 different locations, most of them inside a gray, lifeless workplace. But in the pit, Parton’s music is alive with humor, heart, and unapologetic joy. For Tabb, set designer Paige Hathaway, and lighting designer Yael Lubetzky, the job was to bridge that divide: to honor the grind of office life without losing the sparkle that makes the show sing.

That work began months before rehearsals with the first full design meeting. Tabb arrived with images of late-1970s office spaces. Rooting the design in the concept of forced conformity not only aligned with the story arc of 9 to 5 – it also gave the team a starting place from which the set could evolve.

For Hathaway, the first question was practical: how do you fit more than 20 locations into a single set? “It’s a pretty common challenge for musicals adapted from films,” she says. “You can’t literally build every space. So it becomes a puzzle: how do you suggest a location rather than fully create it?”

This is where lighting became a design partner rather than just an enhancement. “An effective lighting design helps create the language of the set,” says Lubetzky. “It tells the audience they’re in an office, even if only fragments of an office are onstage. Or in a home, even if it’s only pieces of a home.”

That approach solved the problem of multiple locations, but it left the design feeling flat. “The first draft of the set was really cold and weird,” Hathaway remembers. “It did the job, but it didn’t feel like Dolly.”

Parton’s music turned out to be the key. “She’s such an incredible songwriter, and there’s so much joy in her music,” says Hathaway. “We needed a design that reflected that joy.”

Once again, lighting provided a solution. By incorporating light into the scenery itself, Hathaway and Lubetzky gave the office the color and flexibility it was lacking. The space could start out gray and sterile, then gradually warm and brighten as the characters’ world opened up. “The color conversation was the biggest shift,” says Tabb. “It allowed the set to hold both realities—the bleak office and the Dolly-infused joy.”

What emerged was a set that could be both shapeshifter and storyteller: stark enough to ground the show’s opening, but vibrant enough to keep up with Parton’s score and the characters’ transformations.

“I’m just so grateful to get to create something start to finish,” says Tabb. “And it’s been so rewarding to collaborate with people who can take the seed of an idea and reflect it back to me in ways I never could have imagined.”

From gray cubicles to Dolly-fueled dreams, this 9 to 5 set reminds us all that even office life can shine when there’s freedom to get a little creative.

By Ellen Morgan Peltz

Mark Emerson is no stranger to the Village Theatre stage, having appeared in She Loves Me, Mamma Mia!, Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Cinderella, The Fantasticks, Ken Ludwig’s Sherwood, and Legally Blonde. He’s also no stranger to Artistic Director Adam Immerwahr, who directed him in both The Fantasticks and Sherwood. But their latest collaboration—Ken Ludwig’s Baskerville: A Sherlock Holmes Mystery—takes them into uncharted territory. This time, Emerson isn’t playing one character, or even five. He’s playing fourteen. 

Ken Ludwig’s Baskerville, which premiered in 2015 with a coproduction between Arena Stage in Washington, D.C., and McCarter Theatre in Princeton, NJ, reimagines Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s The Hound of the Baskervilles for the stage. Staying true to the spirit of the original tale, Ludwig’s adaptation adds a comic twist—five actors play more than forty characters. 

“This show relishes in the role doubling,” says Immerwahr. “It’s not about efficient casting—it’s about joy. It’s exciting, it’s bravura, and it reminds us why we love live theater in the first place.” 

Role doubling has been part of theatrical tradition since ancient Greece. The technique was used consistently and effectively by Shakespeare and is a hallmark of modern hits like Into the Woods, The 39 Steps, and Hamilton. But even for seasoned performers, the challenge is daunting. “It’s more characters than I’ve ever done before,” Emerson says. “In some ways, I think about it as an endurance test.” 

Like a marathon runner in training, Emerson will use the show’s rehearsal process to build stamina and precision. To keep his fourteen roles distinct, he’ll draw on three main tools: physicality (changes in posture, gait, or speed), dialect (shifting accents to reflect social class), and intention (what each character wants and why). 

Applying all that in the rehearsal room requires both courage and trust. “In order to play all these people, I have to be willing to fail,” he says. “I need to make bold, sometimes ridiculous choices—and trust Adam to tell me, ‘Yes, that’s working,’ or ‘Nope, try again.’” 

Immerwahr agrees that this process of discovery is what makes rehearsing any comedy – but especially one with so many characters – so rewarding. “We’ll create a full person for each role, then identify the key elements that communicate that character instantly to the audience.” 

That sense of transformation extends beyond acting choices and into production design. Costume designer Pete Rush likens his approach to Baskerville to working a puzzle. “Normally you start with how each character should look,” he says. “But with a quick-change show like this, where a few actors play dozens of roles, the first question is: how can this work?” 

Rush’s designs are full of clever tricks—layered costumes that actors can peel away in seconds, onstage quick changes that happen in plain sight, and hidden nooks in the set for costume swaps. “The script is already hilarious,” he says. “The costumes don’t have to do the comedy for us—they just have to keep up.” 

Don’t miss Mark Emerson’s tour-de-force turn in Baskerville: A Sherlock Holmes Mystery. Tickets available now at VillageTheatre.org/Baskerville.

ArtsFund is proud to support Village Theatre’s mission as they continue to produce dynamic programming that highlights innovative artists in the Pacific Northwest. ArtsFund’s support of local arts organizations is only possible through the contributions of donors in this community, and we are immensely grateful to the generous individuals and businesses who have supported ArtsFund as well as Village Theatre. We will continue to support arts organizations, like Village Theatre, that elevate the voices of Washington state through our leadership, advocacy, and grantmaking programs. We are excited to see what will be performed throughout this season!

The Boeing Company is committed to improving the quality of life within the communities where our employees live and work. Our Global Engagement programs implement Boeing’s philanthropy through local charitable investments, volunteerism, employee drives, personal giving, disaster response, and other integrated programs. Boeing is proud to be a supporter of Village Theatre’s productions and musical theatre education programs, and we are pleased to welcome you back to live theatre. Enjoy the show!

Microsoft is pleased to sponsor Village Theatre’s 2025–2026 Season and this production of 9 to 5. Village Theatre is a favorite among our employees and their families, and we are delighted to support a vibrant community arts organization that brings high quality entertainment to our community. We encourage employee engagement and volunteerism in the community throughout the year and through support of great organizations like Village Theatre, we aim to foster a strong community culture where the arts will thrive for generations to come. Enjoy the show!

Lombardi’s Italian Restaurants & Catering is honored to be a long-time Village Theatre sponsor! Lombardi’s delights diners at their three locations: at the scenic Everett Marina, the bustling Bellingham Marina, and their newest culinary venture, Hook & Cleaver, in Mukilteo. Date night or any night, experience Lombardi’s classic and contemporary Italian cuisine from all around Italy. Sip your favorite Washington and Italian wines, savor a handcrafted cocktail, or enjoy one of the many local brews with your meal. Village Theatre and Lombardi’s, the perfect pairing!

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