The Wharton Follies are irreverent.

They’re silly.

They’re … funny.

But make no mistake, there’s nothing particularly funny about the amount of work that goes into each and every Follies production.

We here at Wharton Magazine spent some time with the Follies gang as they prepared for their latest production, and as you’ll see in our video below, the writers, editors and actors who put on the Follies literally spend months working on the show–and working hard, too. In fact, in the weeks leading up to each production, the cast and crew often endure six hour rehearsals … every day.

“It really is running a mile a minute,” said Follies head writer Adam Schlesinger, WG’10. “It is a full-time job.”

Which raises the question: How in the world do these people manage to hold down that “full-time job” while also handling their coursework?

Explained cast member Stacey Stokes, WG’10: “This weird thing happens at Wharton where you learn to handle so much more than you ever thought possible.  I never thought I would have been able to do school plus 32 hours a week of [Follies] practice. But then you do that, and more.”