money. He speaks of his aspirations to share his experiences and values one day as a teacher. Rose Hoffman, a third grade teacher, shares her experiences in dealing with different types of children and the changing times since she began working in 1967 ("Nobody Tells Me How"). Rose tells of one special student, Terry Mason who enters to share a story of a recent experience traveling as a flight attendant. A horn honks as Frank Decker expounds on his love of cruising through the country as a delivery truck driver ("Brother Trucker"). Going home to visit his wife is a hassle for Frank and even though he may find himself within minutes of his home, he finds it too difficult to go back to his family. He tries to call his wife to tell her he will not be coming back home, but his cell phone problems lead him to a phone call with Raj Chadha, an operator for Verizon tech support. Raj deals with the struggles of wanting to be a voice for someone in need but the limitations his job puts on costumer communication. Sharon Atkins, a receptionist steps in and joins Raj, discussing the negative aspects of jobs that are communication-based. Kate Rushton, a housewife receives a phone call that forces her to deal with the challenges of simple housework ("Just A Housewife"). Conrad Swibel, a UPS man, startles Kate when he arrives to deliver a basket. Conrad compares the excitement received from catching dogs and women unaware in an effort to spice up his job. A hustler, Roberta Victor, and a fundraiser, Candy Cottingham, discuss the necessities of working, scrambling to make money and getting lost in work. Grace Clements, a millworker, illustrates the dangers of a typical day at the factory and the hardships of living under a constant clock but offers her secrets to get through it ("Millwork"). Next, Allen Epstein, a community organizer, shares of the necessities and troubles in fighting for a better way of life. The cast enters, assuming various characters from the show, remembering their dreams and aspirations and the challenges that changed their plans along the way ("If I Could've Been"). An incredible lover of rocks, Anthony Coelho, a 60 year old stone mason, remarks on the joy he finds in his craft as shown by his incredible attention to detail that goes unnoticed by all but him ("The Mason"). Eddie Jaffe, a publicist, honestly reflects on his shortcomings as a person and how this is reflected in his work. Then Delores Dante, a waitress, explains her job as a passion of hers that she has perfected over the past 16 years ("It's An Art"). Several other common people enter to lament on getting laid off, the economy, and the battle to stay above it all. Joe Zutty, a retired fireman, offers advice on how to stay active after retirement ("Joe"). Tom Patrick, a current firefighter, expresses the intensity of having a life-threatening yet life-saving job. Utkarsh Trujillo, a caregiver, comes to take Joe back to his room and explains that while his job may not pay much, it is incredibly rewarding work; meanwhile, Theresa Liu, a nanny, talks about the joy she finds in caring for children of careless parents ("A Very Good Day"). A part of a family line of cleaning ladies, Maggie Holmes finds hope and strength in the belief that her daughter is of a new generation that will break the mold and make something more of herself than is family tradition ("Cleanin' Women"). Meanwhile, Ralph Werner, a 19 year old salesman, is sharing his life plan for living, working, and a family. Another 19 year old currently collecting unemployment, Charlie Blossom, tells of an incredible job he had with a Chicago paper and how he got fired through a plan he had concocted in hopes of being different. Mike comes back and is reminded of his son by Ralph and Charlie. He speculates on how quickly his child grew up and how quickly he must have grown up in his father's eyes ("Fathers and Sons"). The workers come back to restate the importance of taking pride in their work and acknowledge the impact that their work has had on so many other people's lives ("Something To Point To"). MUSICAL NUMBERS ACT I • All the Livelong Day (I Hear America Singing Lyrics by Walt Whitman; Music and Additional Lyrics by
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