Director's Notes

The Pajama Game premiered on Broadway in 1954. It won the Tony Award for Best Musical in 1955, along with awards for Best Featured Actress (Carol Haney) and Best Choreography for a newcomer named Bob Fosse, making his choreographic debut on Broadway. Based on the novel 7 ½ Cents, the production features music by Richard Adler and Jerry Ross and ran for over 1000 performances at the St. James and Shubert theaters. The show was revived in 1973 and 2006, with the 2006 version also winning Tony Awards for Best Revival and Best Choreography. The show was also made into a 1957 film with most of the principals from the Broadway production reprising their roles in the movie. The film also added Doris Day to the cast, portraying the role of Babe Williams.

The show focuses on a union battle between the management and workers of a pajama factory in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. On one side of the battle, we have the new superintendent, Sid Sorokin, and on the other we have the head of the union’s grievance committee, Babe Williams. Despite an uncertain beginning, the two begin a whirlwind romance, which is put to the test when the union decides to institute a companywide “slow-down”, the final step before a potential strike. Sid and Babe try to navigate the labor troubles and their relationship while standing on opposite sides of a “titanic battle for pajama survival”, which impacts not only our protagonists, but the entire factory and town.

We chose to produce this show for several reasons. One, it is always important to study and perform in Golden Age Musicals, and this one has aged better than others. As with many musical comedies, the action is driven through the primary love story between our two protagonists, and those themes are evergreen. Furthermore, the show offers a range of fantastic performance opportunities, especially for our female-identifying performers, which is a great fit for our department.

However, I think the broader message really resonates today and is one of the main reasons this show kept rising to the top in our discussions. That message is about worker’s rights and fighting for what you believe in. This theme plays as well today as it did in the 1950s. Even in a world where union membership is down from its peak levels, there is a broader idea explored in this production. The Sleep Tite pajama factory serves as a metaphor for society more broadly. The workers in the factory all do an incredibly important job, and the entire factory depends on each individual doing their job competently and consistently. In exchange, the company fairly compensates the workers for their time and offers them gainful employment to enable them to take care of their families and live fulfilling lives. This basic social contract is the underpinning of much of our broader society.

In The Pajama Game, we meet a group of people who see an injustice (pay inequity) and seek to fairly and ethically do anything in their power to seek a remedy to their problem.

I believe the show’s central theme: finding a way to address a personal injustice amid a complex social and political situation, is incredibly important today. While cynicism, pessimism and a feeling of helplessness are too often the responses to the complexity of our world and its problems, the fact is those attitudes are self-defeating and even become permissive to those driving the broader injustices plaguing our society. A focus on finding equitable solutions to problems can empower communities and enable us to be better equipped to address larger societal issues.

Margaret Mead is famously quoted to have said, “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has.” While historians may quibble about the attribution, the message therein is what matters. As a proud member of three different unions, a husband and father, and professor who is blessed to work with the next generation of young people, this message keeps me going and gives me optimism for our future.

I am especially proud of this small group of thoughtful, committed students and faculty that have worked so hard to put on this production. This incredible cast, crew and design team has been a pleasure to work with, and I cannot wait for you to get to experience the fruits of their labor. Thank you for your patronage, and I hope you enjoy the UNH Department of Theatre and Dance’s production of The Pajama Game.

--Tom Alsip