“There is no plot,” Jack Kausch, an actor in Community Ensemble Theater (CET), says of their upcoming production, “Working.” This can’t be right, a musical without a plot?

“Working” is a musical adapted from the book Working: People Talk About What They Do All Day and How They Feel About What They Do by Studs Terkel. It showcases workers and their jobs through a collection of monologues and songs.

CET pulled off this musical with a bang, perhaps one of their best productions. Jokes and numbers were well executed and received by the audience, redeeming their previous productions.

“Working” featured both laborious jobs, like ironworkers, millworkers, field workers, stone masons, and firemen; and some softer (but just as important) occupations including a receptionist, CEO, newsgirl, and a waitress. “Real people, in their words,” Phillip Walker, the director, said while introducing the musical.

Pioneer Theater Guild’s (PTG) and CET’s productions always land on the same weekend. PTG is famous for their extravagant sets and costumes, but that was not a downfall for CET. The lack of sets and minimal props helped the musical, allowing the audience to construct the scenes in their head.

Their production of Working has proved CET worthy of a weekend night again.