Overview
Synopsis
9 to 5 is based on the 1980 movie of the same name, and features music and lyrics by Dolly Parton. It centers on the downtrodden working lives of three women, Violet, Judy, and Doralee. They all work at Consolidated Industries, which is presided over by the sexist, lecherous, and pompous, Franklin Hart. Violet has worked at Consolidated for many years, but has never been given the chance to rise above senior supervisor status, although she is capable of much more. Judy is newly separated and joins the company having never worked before. Doralee is a sexy, happily married country girl, but she is ostracized from the other female workers. After Judy has an awful first day, Hart passes Violet over for another promotion, and Doralee finds out that Hart has been telling everyone they are having an affair, the three women unite in their hatred of Hart. Over a joint, they fantasize about how they would kill him. When Violet almost unwittingly poisons Hart the next day, he blackmails the three women, threatening them with the police. Doralee ties Hart up with the phone wires and, feeling empowered, they decide to imprison him in his own house while his wife is away. In Hart’s absence, Violet, Judy, and Doralee run the office to great effect. They introduce childcare, hour-long lunch breaks, rehab programs, and much more to benefit the staff at Consolidated. While Hart is tied up, the women also use the time to gather evidence that Hart has been embezzling from the company, but Hart breaks free and surprises the women at the office. However, his attempts to reveal the truth about his kidnapping are foiled when the Chairman of the Board arrives to praise the company’s increased productivity. The Chairman sends Hart to head up the Bolivia office and promotes Violet to the first female CEO. With Hart gone, the company reprise 9 to 5, in the happy knowledge that times have changed for the better.
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Context
9 to 5: The Musical is based on the 1980 hit film of the same name, which starred Jane Fonda, Lily Tomlin, and Dolly Parton and captured widespread frustrations about sexism and inequality in the American workplace. Released at a time when more women were entering office jobs, the film blended broad comedy with pointed social commentary, making it both commercially successful and culturally resonant. When plans emerged to adapt the story for the stage, its themes of gender discrimination,
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Act One
As members of the ensemble appear, we are introduced to three very different women working at Consolidated Industries: Violet, an overworked single mother; Doralee, a confident, glamorous country girl; and Judy, a nervous newcomer re-entering the workforce after her husband leaves her for a younger woman. Together, they launch the show with the company anthem, “9 to 5.”
In the bustling Office Bullpen, Violet takes Judy under her wing, explaining office life and introducing her to
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Interactive Character Map
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Character Portrayals
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Songs
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A song with an asterisk (*) before the title indicates a dance number.
Themes, Symbols & Motifs
THEMES
Workplace Sexism and Gender Inequality
The musical 9 to 5 centers on the pervasive sexism of the late-1970s corporate environment, portraying Franklin Hart Jr. as a "sexist, egotistical, lying, hypocritical bigot" who harasses Doralee, blocks Violet's promotion in favor of less qualified men, and treats Judy as incompetent because of her gender. This theme drives the entire narrative, illustrating systemic barriers women faced, including unequal pay, sexual harassment, and
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Guide Written By:
Alexandra Appleton
Writer, editor and theatre researcher