On Friday, April 15, 1966, Wilson P. Cannon Jr., Bank of Hawaii president, allowed employees to wear Hawaiian print shirts to work on Fridays, starting the tradition of “Aloha Fridays.” This is where Stone Depot Dance Lab begins the history of Casual Friday, a rollicking dance piece set in the Ruba Club cabaret, complete with live music, insight, humor, and telling commentary on the state of office politics and the rules of polite behavior.

The trend toward the informal moved from Honolulu to the mainland in 1991 when Alcoa Aluminum in Pittsburgh became the first major company to sanction Casual Fridays. Other companies, like IBM, followed suit, and the Dot-Com boom of the 1990s furthered the image of the business executive who, rather than arrayed in suit and tie, was more likely to be found in khakis and a polo shirt. The development of Casual Fridays was complete; a situation filled with questions of social structuring, labor practices and the culture of the individual.

Stone Depot’s Casual Friday begins with a Happy Hour in the Ruba Club’s inviting lounge, sponsored by Philadelphia Brewing Company, and continues on a wild ride through an unorthodox history: a performance for anyone who has braved the work force, navigated the social strictures of bosses and co-workers, or simply needs a Casual Friday for any reason.

April 12 & 19

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