Setting for 'Cabaret' to Provide Nightclub-Like Atmosphere

Katy Paterson (center) stars with Philip McLeod (left) and Paul Winchester (right) in The College of Wooster's Production of "Cabaret."

WOOSTER, Ohio - The intimate confines of Shoolroy Theatre will add to the ambiance of a nightclub-like setting when The College of Wooster's Department of Theatre presents the musical "Cabaret." Evening performances are scheduled for Oct. 25-26 and Nov. 1-4 at 8:15 p.m. There will also be matinees on Oct. 28 and Nov. 3-4 at 3 p.m. Tickets are $9 for general admission and $6 for students and senior citizens.

A total of 30 undergraduates and two recent alumni comprise the cast list, but members of the audience may also become involved in the show if they choose to sit in one of the tables that surround the main set. "We anticipate a lot of audience-actor interaction," said Ansley Valentine, associate professor of theatre who will direct the production.

Katy Patterson, a junior from Wooster, stars as Sally Bowles. She plays opposite Paul Winchester, a first-year student from Duluth, Minn., who has the role of her love interest Cliff Bradshaw. Emily Patterson, a 2006 College of Wooster graduate and the older sister of Katy, will play the role of Fraulein Schneider, who has a romantic interest in Herr Schultz, played by 2005 graduate Michael Stratton.

Other lead characters include Ernst Ludwig, played by Nat Jeffirs, a senior from Argos, Ind.; Fraulein Kost, portrayed by Allison Wadleigh, a sophomore from Elgin, Ill.; and Max, played by Andrew LeVan, a sophomore from Dublin. In addition, Philip McLeod, a junior from Columbus, will play the emcee, the role made famous by Joel Grey.

"Cabaret" is a story about several people who come together at the Kit Kat Club, a seedy, third-rate nightclub, on New Year's Eve 1929. Sally Bowles is a singer at the club, where she meets Cliff Bradshaw, who has been wandering around Europe looking for something to write about. Fraulein Schneider and Herr Schultz also develop a relationship despite one being a Jew during rising tensions in Nazi Germany.

The stage version of "Cabaret" bears little resemblance to the film, according to Valentine. "It's completely different," he said. "The characters are not the same and neither is the storyline. There are also more songs in the stage play."

Shoolroy is the perfect venue for this production, according to Valentine, who said that a jazz band, made up of 5-7 students and directed by Toni Shreve, will be stationed atop the main two-story set.

In addition to the cast members, several students will be at work behind the scenes, including two that will be fulfilling requirements for their Senior Independent Study projects. Stefanie Genda, a senior for Cuyahoga Falls, will be designing the costumes, and Elise Pelligra, a senior from Hudson, will provide some of the choreography.

Those attending the production will be encouraged to become physically, mentally, and emotionally involved. "Our theme for this season is to present things in a provocative manner," said Valentine. "We want people to challenge what it is they think about the things they see."

For more information about "Cabaret" or to order tickets, call 330-263-2241.