9 to 5 is a popular 1980’s film about the women Violet Newstead, Doralee Rhodes and Judy Bernly who work for a sexist and misogynistic boss, known as Franklin Hart Jr., all while being targeted by a pesky assistant, Roz Keith, who is in love with her boss. The movie was later adapted into a musical in 2008 and now Westside High School is performing 9 to 5 this upcoming weekend. While the film and musical are centered around the three main women, the characters of Franklin Hart Jr., played by junior Eliot Gray, and Roz Keith, played by senior Jill Stark, are also important characters, specifically the villainous leads, that give 9 to 5 a comedic relief. Stark said that her and Gray’s characters are significant as they help progress the show and keep it interesting.

“Roz’s character is the assistant manager to Hart and she knows everything that goes around the office,” Stark said. “She overhears that Violet poisoned Hart’s coffee and she tells him and that’s how they pretty much end up kidnapping them, threatens to fire them and send them to the police. I feel like without my character in [the show] Hart would’ve never found out. Roz is also the comic relief and people really enjoy having that stupid and weird villianous character who is like a sidekick.”

Stark and Gray both said that it is fun to play a more villainous character, even though they feel they are complete opposites from their characters in real life. Besides the evil aspect, a majority of the show revolves around Roz and Hart’s dynamic. 

“[Roz and Hart’s relationship] is kind of twisted and Roz is messed up,” Gray said. “I feel like she must’ve had some problems in her past that made her grow attached to this awful dude. There is no logical explanation because Hart treats her horribly and she still has this love for him.”

Along with Gray, Stark said that Roz and Hart’s relationship is interesting because she is not quite fully in love with him but she is in love with the power he possesses. 9 to 5 director Jeremy Stoll said Roz has a very definite character arch and is really attracted to the power dynamic; not necessarily the way Hart treats women.

“We had a great conversation with Jill about why Roz, her character, admires such a sexist, despicable person so much,” Stoll said. “What she led herself to, is that Roz is a lesbian and just enjoys having the power and admires the power that Frank has.”

Hart and Roz’s roles revolve around common themes such as women in the workplace, sexual harassment and equality. Even though Gray and Stark are portraying these characters, Gray said that he does not agree with Hart’s beliefs and believes women should be equal to men in the workplace.

“Hart’s whole thing is this big misogynistic character and thinks all these women exist just to serve him, especially Doralee because he wants to have her for lack of a cleaner term,” Gray said. “Hart sees women as objects and represents the establishment patriarchy that existed at the time so in the end when he gets sent to Bolivia, he has fallen and women have risen to power and it is more equal.”

Stoll said that the directors had a conversation with Gray and senior Kelly Kroeger, who plays Doralee, the woman Hart is pining after, about what they are comfortable with in the show and about their lines, songs and the way they act towards one another.

“On one hand it’s fun to play bad people just because it’s outside of the norm and you get to make them kind of silly and grotesque,” Stoll said. “On the other hand, the lesson to be learned in the show is a very real one and very relevant particularly to young women who even as highschoolers are starting to experience some of those things. It was kind of an uncomfortable conversation to have but we address that in the show.”

Stark said that she believes Roz is a terrible bystander trying to work her way up to the top to get the power she wants, while Hart is just a bad person.

“Frank is gross,” Stoll said. “Every single time he shows up in the show he has no character arch he is the same level of gross but it’s a gross that we can sit out here and recognize and go ‘oh that is not a good person.’ So I think for [Gray] it is kind of freeing for him to be as terrible as he can and that’s what is going to sell this character and that’s what he does. It’s funny. Sometimes it’s a little cringey but it always serves its purpose, and Frank Hart just has one purpose and Eliot really enjoys that purpose.”

Stoll said that one of the goals of the musical is to reiterate common themes, such as women’s rights and equality. Stark said that she feels strongly about the messages portrayed in the show.

“It is important to show [musicals like 9 to 5] especially in high school,” Stark said. “[Women] are still fighting for their rights, even back in the centuries ago until now. I think it is important to teach kids, especially teenagers now, women deserve their rights and deserve to explore and do their own thing and be anything you want to be.”

Stoll said that he hopes people attend 9 to 5, and not just older generations that recognize Dolly Parton and the soundtrack of the show. 

“The show is hilarious,” Stoll said. “We’ve just kept it this side of PG-13 and just cut out the things we really can’t put on a high school stage, everything else is still in there. It’s a really funny show, the music is super sticky and gets in your head and you find yourself singing along with it all the time.”

9 to 5 premieres on Thursday Oct. 17 and runs until Saturday Oct. 19 at 7 p.m., and Sunday Oct. 20 at 2 p.m. Tickets are $8 for students and $12 for adults.