Week 3: A Synopsis

In this week's edition of Behind the Curtain, Danya '19, provides a synopsis of the show and delves into its significance through the eyes of the cast and crew. 
Urinetown the Musical
Thursday, May 16 & Friday, May 17 with matinee Saturday, May 18 
Robin Wood Theatre

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The satirical show that CSW students are familiarizing themselves with is Urinetown, a three-time Tony winning musical. The show takes place in a city suffering from a 20-year drought, where the water shortage has led to a governmental ban on private bathrooms. Citizens are forced to use public amenities managed by a dominating enterprise, Urine Good Company, spearheaded by Caldwell B. Cladwell (Ryan Rosenthal ’19)  that profits by charging citizens an access fee to the restrooms. Having to pay for a basic human right proves demeaning to inhabitants of the town, as the financial burden of pricey public bathrooms becomes burdensome. Fortunately, the show’s hero, Bobby Strong (Jack Mayer ’20), tired of the tyrannical corporation’s manipulation and irresponsibility, takes it upon himself to pry his community from the evil grips of capitalism.

The show conveys the satirical perspective that large monopolizing companies are sources of “good” for the world, and highlights the impact of bureaucracy. It holds the legal system accountable, as well as the people for the state of the town, indicating a deep belief in the power of the population. The plot shows how easy it is for authority figures to manipulate the masses, but advocates for social change with an honest undertone: there is strength in numbers, but also naiveté.

After reading through the script as a group, Theatre Fellow Colin Wilson ’08 asked show participants for one-word reactions to the following questions:
  • What do you think?
  • How do you feel?
  • What does Urinetown mean to you?
Some of the responses were as follows:
  • Subtext
  • Sacrifice
  • Truthful
  • Complicated
  • Revealing
  • Foreshadowing
  • Brutal
  • Justice
  • Consequences
  • Funny
  • Twisted
  • Denial
  • Ominous.
When offered a forum to expand their opinions of the musical further, Lakeland Galinson ’22 chimed in, “In the satire, there is truth. The show is supposed to be exaggerated and funny, but there’s a core message.”

“Where does art end and activism begin?” Robert asked the group almost rhetorically. “Here we have a show, but we’re talking about real problems. The show ends, then what?”

Ultimately, the group decided that art isn’t enough, and that there has to be action to go along with it. This desire and determination for social change is what this musical hopes to incite in both its actors and its audience.

“No one is innocent,” Anna Whitney ’21 says, quoting the script. “This is the most important line in the whole show. In the beginning it’s very satirical, a big joke, but slowly these layers unfold, and the line between good and bad is blurred.”

The show brings attention to the complexities of good and bad, right and wrong. The town does not have enough water to support private bathrooms, but the citizens do not have enough money to pay for public access. Urinetown attempts to break down these intricacies by creating a plot built on a core message:

“We all want a world filled with peace and with joy, with plenty of justice for each girl and boy.” (“Follow Your Heart” from Urinetown).

“We all agree with that!” Colin emphasizes. “That’s what the show is telling us. We’ve got big problems, but this is the common goal for our world and for us. The best part about Urinetown, though, is that we’ve got a bunch of airheads singing about it.”
 

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CSW—a gender-inclusive day and boarding school for grades 9-12—is a national leader in progressive education. We live out our values of inquiry-based learning, student agency, and embracing diverse perspectives in every aspect of our student experience. Young people come to CSW to learn how to learn and then put what they learn into action—essential skills they carry into their futures as doers, makers, innovators, leaders, and exceptional humans who do meaningful work in the world.