St. Ambrose University's Cabaret: Play Review

The St. Ambrose University’s rendition of Cabaret was definitely a play to be seen. Meant to be a informational and reflection all piece, Cabaret almost forces the audience to place themselves in the characters’ positions. Through the anger and violence, sexuality and promiscuity, and the Nazi’s search for Jews, this play is designed to shake the audience up and make them feel uncomfortable. Using metaphors and exaggerations, it tries to press the issues that are caused by people turning a blind eye to evil. With my prior knowledge of the Holocaust and Germany during this time, it is easy for me to say that I would not have conformed. However, after sitting in the theater and watching Cabaret, groupthink and conformity seemed a lot easier
The theater, itself, was renovated to bring the stage down to the audience’s level, making the farthest downstage in front of the first row of seats. The transition between dim and bright lighting really matched the mood felt by the audience and the scene that was being performed. As mentioned before, the use of music and the use of silence were also important for the perception of the audience. Careful attention was definitely given to the actors’ costumes and makeup in Cabaret. Actresses in the Kit Kat Club were dressed in black burlesque attire or what seemed to be nude undergarments with heels, while other actresses were dressed in the typical 1920’s flapper costume. For the men, suits and top hats were worn. Makeup for both actors and actresses was done to be very dramatic and dark, emphasizing the lips and eyes. From the playwright and director position, the costume choice and makeup provided a key component to the play, drawing the attention of the audience and focusing in on the outward
Dancers in this play used many different forms of dance, using props, having a partner, or dancing in unison with a group. The movements in their choreography were very large, incorporating the whole body, generally performed in a sensual or risqué fashion. I was familiar with a few of the steps they included in their choreography, specifically grand battements, attitude leg swings, pique turns, and pas de bourrees. The dancers, similar to teaching from our class, always had a very elongated neck, standing tall, and pointing their toes. I believe that this makes for a very confident look when on stage performing and noticed this stance in the other actors as well. However, I would probably classify this type of dance as more of a jazz style, instead of traditional ballet. The music was very jumpy and loud with many trumpet slurs, making it a fun and engaging dance to