‘Cabaret’ Hitting The Stage At Rock Island’s Augustana College
The Augustana College Department of Theatre presents “Cabaret,” November 17-20, 2022.
Set in 1929-1930 Berlin, the musical focuses on the hedonistic nightlife at the Kit Kat Club and revolves around an
American writer’s relationship with Sally Bowles, a cabaret performer. The original Broadway production opened in 1966
and ran for 1,166 performances.
A musical theatre performer herself, Augustana’s Shelley Cooper, assistant professor of theatre arts, will direct “Cabaret.”
Cooper said she hopes the audience takes away a simple message: “I can be changed by what happens to me, but I refuse
to be reduced by it.”
“The singer, Sally Bowles, represents the people who kept their eyes shut to changes in the world around them, and the
novelist represents the new (perhaps naïve) American activist who could no longer sit by and watch the government ignore
the will of the people,” she said.
“Today, as activism at both ends of the political spectrum has experienced a renaissance in America, ‘Cabaret’ as a
cautionary morality play has tremendous resonance.”
Several principal roles are double cast and will be performed by different actors on different nights. This was to
accommodate the growth of the college’s music theatre department and gives a chance for more students to shine on
stage.
Tickets can be purchased at Augustana.edu/tickets.
Performances will all take place in the Brunner Theatre Center. For additional information, please contact the Ticket
Office at tickets@augustana.edu or 309-794-7306.
