Katy Patterson Brings Pizzazz to Her Lead Role in ‘Cabaret’

When Katy Patterson took the stage as Sally Bowles in the production of “Cabaret” at The College of Wooster’s Shoolroy Theatre (October 25-26, 2007), patrons noticed some similarities between the actor and the character she portrays. “Sally is energetic and provocative,” says Patterson, a 2005 graduate of Wooster High School. “She knows no bounds.”

Patterson, a  junior theatre major with a concentration on directing and a minor in women’s studies, is equally limitless with her enchanting stage presence and spellbinding voice, but, she insists, with far fewer vices than the racy Bowles. “Sally is one of those who says ‘I am who I am, and that’s the way it is,’” says Patterson. “It’s a role that I’ve always wanted to play.”

Patterson, who has been singing since she was 4 and acting since she was 6, seems to have been predestined for a career in theatre. Her parents, both of whom have a background in drama and music, named her after the character in the Broadway musical “Kiss Me Kate.”

“I guess you could say I’m immersed in it,” says Patterson in describing her love for theatre. “Music has been more of a hobby for me, but the theatre is my true passion.”

Despite her onstage talent, Patterson hopes one day to call the shots from a director’s chair. She has a particular interest in children’s theatre after having worked with young people at a camp in Maine this past summer, but she’s keeping her options open. “I think that to be in theatre you have to be able to do everything,” she says. “I love acting, and if Broadway were to call, I would take a chance, but my main interest is in the other side.”

Patterson’s theatre resume includes design work for Wooster’s highly acclaimed production of “Nocturne,” which was invited to perform at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., last spring. She also played the role of Erzulie in “Once on this Island” as a first-year student, and she has competed in the American College Theatre Festival for the past two years with plans to continue this year. In addition, she designed for “Goodnight Desdemona (Good Morning Juliet),” “WASP,” and “King Lear” last year, and helped to found the student-run theatre group, Effie's Players, playing Princess Leonide in "Triumph of Love" in the spring of 2006. Her musical background includes experience with the Wayne County Children’s Chorus, the All-Ohio Youth Choir and Chorale, the Wooster High School Choir, The College of Wooster Chorus, and the a cappella group “After These Messages.”

One day, Patterson would like to own a theatre company, but right now she is focused on her role in “Cabaret,” which will also feature her sister, Emily, a 2006 College of Wooster graduate, who will play the role of Fraulein Schneider. “She’s brilliant,” says Katy of her older sister. “It will be great to be back on stage with her.”

“The music is fantastic, and the storyline really pushes the envelope,” says Patterson about Cabaret. “It forces the actors and the audience to become actively involved in the show.”

That wasn't difficult, considering the intimate setting in Shoolroy Theatre that practically puts the audience inside seedy Kit Kat Nightclub on New Year’s Eve 1929. And with Patterson in one of the lead roles, patrons got their money’s worth, especially given her desire to unite with her character — so much so that she will actually drink Sally Bowles’ favorite beverage on stage: raw eggs and Worcestershire sauce.