Study Guide for Parents and Educators

Founded in 1968 by Frank M. Young, Theatre Under The Stars (TUTS) is

currently under the direction of President and CEO John C. Breckenridge.
TUTS was the first theatrical organization in Houston to perform free to
the public at Miller Outdoor Theatre in Hermann Park, and it is the only
Houston arts organization that has continued this tradition of giving back to
the community since the Miller theatre opened. Since its founding, TUTS
has produced more than 275 musicals, including many local, national, and
world premieres. TUTS is also noted for mounting many international tours,
including Debbie Reynolds in The Unsinkable Molly Brown, Juliet Prowse
in Mame, Robert Goulet in Man of La Mancha, and the Tony Award-winning
revival of Carousel.

As a way to continue the tradition of musical theatre, TUTS’ Humphreys

School of Musical Theatre provides instruction and stage experience for more
than 1,700 students annually. Since 1972, the school has provided a superb
forum for musical theatre training for both children and adults. Housed at the
Hobby Center for the Performing Arts, The Academy and The Studio at TUTS
allow students to flourish in a year-round schedule of classes. Conducted by
an outstanding professional faculty and renowned resident artists who inspire
and train students in every aspect of musical theatre, TUTS’ Humphreys
School of Musical Theatre offers everything from vocal technique and dance
to costume design and prop construction. Specifically designed for the
career-track student, The Academy offers intermediate and advances studies
in tap, ballet/jazz, voice and theory, acting, musical theatre workshop, and
directing. The Academy at TUTS gives students numerous opportunities to
put their training to work in a performance, with a final showcase at the end
of each semester. The Studio offers a variety of classes for those on a non-
audition basis. The Studio at TUTS is an exciting program for learning and
fun that includes early morning and evening classes, Saturday workshops, and
summer and winter camps. TUTS also annually presents the Tommy Tune
Awards, honoring the best and brightest in Houston’s high school musical
theatre programs.
Table of Contents
Musical Theatre 101 ................................................................................................................. 4

How to Make a Musical ............................................................................................................. 9

The Production Team ............................................................................................................. 10

Glossary of Theatre Terms ...................................................................................................... 13

Review Activities ..................................................................................................................... 14

About the Show ..................................................................................................................... 15

Synopsis ................................................................................................................................ 18

A Lesson in History ................................................................................................................ 20

A Lesson in Literature ............................................................................................................ 25

A Lesson in Psychology .......................................................................................................... 30

A Lesson in the Arts ............................................................................................................... 35

A Lesson in Culture ................................................................................................................ 38

Your Feedback ....................................................................................................................... 40

TUTS creates online study guides such as this one to enhance students’
theatrical experiences. Using the guide, teachers and parents can encourage
children to explore both the story and production elements of the show. Live
theater enriches young peoples’ lives like few other experiences. The study
guides contain various discussion questions, projects, and activities that
encourage students to engage in literary analysis, historical research, and
personal reflection. Our hope is that these students will be able to gain a
greater understanding and appreciation for musical theatre.
WHAT IS MUSICAL
MUSICAL THEATRE 101:
An introduction to all things theatre-related
THEATRE?
Musical theatre’s history begins much earlier than
Musical theatre establishes 1866, the year the first musical was performed in New York.
In fact, evidence suggests elements of this art form were
itself as the only genre used over 2,500 years ago! During the 5th century B.C.E.,
of performance that fully plays in Greece were composed of one to three actors and
a chorus that responded to the characters’ actions. Both
utilizes acting, singing, and the actors and the chorus sang throughout the play, and the
dancing together to further actors incorporated not only dialogue and song into their
the development of the plot. role, but dance as well. Grecian theatre can be divided into
three main genres, all employing distinct types of music and
This differs from traditional dance: tragedy, which required a slow and graceful dance
theatre because the story is called the emmeleia; comedy, which used a more fast-paced
dance known as the kordax; and
enhanced by the addition satyr plays (which poked fun at
of singing and dancing, a common belief) used a dance
not merely supplemented called the sikinnis that mocked
the emmeleia.
as in ‘straight’ plays. To After the Greeks were
better understand musical conquered by the Romans in the
Peloponnesian War, the popularity
theatre as a whole, an of theatre declined. The Romans,
audience member must known for their military genius
and stoic nature, didn’t place as
understand the importance much cultural emphasis on the
of these three elements. A arts or religion. In fact, because
musical theatre performer, the audience at Roman theatre
performances was usually loud,
talented at acting, singing, the performers mimed the actions
and dancing, is sometimes and invented visual codes that
were incorporated into their
called a triple threat due to costumes to let someone know
their mastery of that triad. what kind of a person their
Actors in other areas of character was even if no one
could hear the dialogue. A red
performance do not usually wig, for example, meant that the
have these talents. When character was a slave, whereas
a yellow tassel indicated that
it comes to understanding character was a god. Most of
the director’s vision of the the Roman plays were comedies
involving cases of mistaken
piece, careful attention identity, such as gods disguised
must be paid to all aspects as mortals, and these costuming
of the production. aids helped in constructing these
possible situations.
 Molière During the Middle Ages, theatre was no longer
entrenched in culture and relegated to one particular location.
Actors, singers, and dancers went from city to city performing
for anyone who would watch. However, they were not always well
received. A good example of this is the misconception that such
performers carried the plague, and no one would allow them into
the city. Musical theatre was not doomed, though – the Catholic
Church took theater and transformed it to its own needs. Although
the history between Western religions and theatre is not always
amicable, the Church used theatre to transmit its messages to
the illiterate masses.
Most people did not
know Latin, the official
language of the Church,
so clever monks started
incorporating music and
art to spread their

faith using cycle plays. A cycle play is a biblical story that has
its scenes divided between different groups of actors. Each
group would have a pageant wagon (a stage on wheels), and
they would move about the city depicting biblical stories.
Once one group was done, the next part of the story started.
This allowed religion not only to spread, but also to entertain.
The cycle plays helped increase the popularity of theatre, and
propel it as an art form into the Renaissance.

West Side Story

The Renaissance, which in French literally
means “rebirth,” reawakened the public to
Oklahoma!

the arts. Throughout Europe, technological,

literary, and stylistic advances appeased the
audience of the day. One of the most famous
playwrights of all time, Molière, shows this.
King Louis XIV demanded a further-reaching
entertainment, and called on Molière to
reformat his plays to do this. Molière added
music and dance to his shows fitting his
farcical style, song, and dance to the king’s
taste during the 1600s. This style grew and
by the 1700s there were two main styles:
the ballad opera and comic opera. The ballad opera used popular songs of the day with new lyrics,
whereas the comic operas had original scores and a more romantic plot development. Both these styles
flourished, and the idea of incorporating music into plays stuck.
 The birth of musical theatre as we
know it did not occur until 1866 in New
York City. William Wheatley, a theatre
manager and producer, was worried about
his upcoming show, described as a “boring
melodrama.” Looking for something to add
excitement (and sell tickets), Wheatley jumped
when he saw that the Academy of Music
burnt down in a fire, leaving their performers
unemployed. Wheatley and the Academy
of Music collaborators came together to
join Wheatley’s play and the ballet that
was scheduled to perform at the Academy.
Combining the two in a performance called
The Black Crook, audiences were pleasantly
astounded at the integration of music, dance, Hello, Dolly!
and theatre.
In the 1920s, musical theatre faced its first big test.
Film had just begun and was already starting to gain
popularity. What was theatre going to do with this new
entertainment medium stealing their audience? They
filled seats by emphasizing theatre’s stars, bigger dance
routines, and adding popular songs, increasing the
spectacle of the performances. This, however, caused
the budget to increase and when the Great Depression
hit in 1929 very few former patrons could still afford the
theatre. During the Depression, shows which focused
on satire and political commentary flourished as patrons
wanted “smarter” shows rather than the chorus girls
The Drowsy Chaperone

common to the follies of earlier years.

The theatre lived on, however, and in the 1940s the
Golden Age of musical theatre began with Rodgers and
Hammerstein’s Oklahoma!. This was the first show to
wholly incorporate
dance into the plot line
of the musical – which
happened almost by
accident. The Theatre
Guild went bankrupt,
so Rodgers and Hammerstein received full artistic control. The pair
took many chances, including hiring the modern dance choreographer,
Agnes de Mille. Since the characters were cowboys and farm girls, the
idea of them expressing their emotions through lengthy soliloquies
seemed out of character. de Mille used everyday motions to express
their ideas, including butter churning, rather than traditional showgirl
dancing. Opening night proved the musical was a success, and it is now
thought of as a quintessential musical theatre piece.

Disney’s Beauty and the Beast

 Between 1943 and 1967,
dozens of wildly successful
shows, such as Rodgers
and Hammerstein’s South Pacific
(1949), The King and I (1951),
and The Sound of Music (1959),
as well as Irving Berlin’s Annie
Get your Gun (1946) and Cole
Porter’s Kiss Me, Kate (1948)
were produced. Drawing off of
history and classical literature
(Kiss Me, Kate was based on
William Shakespeare’s Taming
of the Shrew), those creating
new shows catered to the desire

Legally Blonde: The Musical

for deeper, edgier shows rather than the tamer plotlines found in
the turn of the century musicals. The hit musical My Fair Lady
(1956) was based off of George Bernard Shaw’s play Pygmalion,
and shows continued to explore different periods of history as
West Side Story (1957), Fiddler on the Roof (1964), Hello, Dolly!
(1964), and Cabaret (1966) became successful.
Musicals still continued to evolve with the culture of the
era. After the success of Hair (1967), the 1970s continued to

Seven Brides for Seven Brothers

use rock influence music in their production. Many Broadway
productions have been so successful that they have been made
into feature films, including Paint Your Wagon (1951), The Music
Man (1957), and How to Succeed in Business Without Really
Trying (1962). The counterculture and civil rights movements
created an increase in the appearance of socially pertinent issues
and themes. Dreamgirls (1981), A Chorus Line (1975), and Evita

(1979) are known for reflecting the

changing social climate. The 1980s
and 1990s brought along the rise of the
“mega musicals.” These incorporated
larger casts, pop-influenced scores, and
an increase in the value placed upon
special effects. Audiences were wowed
with Phantom of the Opera’s falling
chandelier in 1986, and the elaborate
and numerous costumes in The Lion
King (1997) and Beauty and the Beast
(1994) awed theatergoers.

Avenue Q
 The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee
The increase in spectacle had many
implications, however. It is now impossible
for a single individual to fund shows, so more
and more corporations are getting involved.
The increased cost also means that ticket
prices increased. The price increase changed
the status of theatre to a more upper class
activity, whereas it historically had been
available to all classes, as shown by the cycle
plays of the Middle Ages or the groundlings
(lowest class of patrons) in the Globe Theater,
where all of Shakespeare’s productions
were held. Jonathon Larson’s Rent (1996)
tried to change this when he added heavily
stylized rock music and a young cast, on
top of implementing measures to ensure the
possibility of acquiring affordable tickets for
those who wanted them.

The 21st century has brought on a unique
combination of revivals and new styles to musical
theatre. The revivals of shows provide an almost
guarantee to producers that people will see the
show, but new shows stretch the limits of artistic
expression. For example, Avenue Q (2003) is a new
production where adult-themed material is presented
via puppets, and The 25th Annual Putnam County
Cabaret

Spelling Bee (2005) encounters universal issues

under the guise of a children’s game – and includes
audience participation! Shows like Curtains (2007)
and The Drowsy Chaperone (2006) even make fun of
the backstage dramas of the musical theater process.
Musical theatre will continue to grow and change in

exciting ways that no one now can guess, but that just
makes it more thrilling to look forward to the future of
musicals.

Disney’s The Lion King

HOW TO MAKE A MUSICAL, IN TEN EASY STEPS!
1) Pick the PERFECT musical! Some things to consider are: who is the target audience, if you can get
the rights to perform the show, and how much does it
cost. Sometimes you can’t secure the rights to a musical
if the licensing company thinks too many productions are
being presented in one area or if it is currently running on
Broadway.
2) Plan a BUDGET! Salaries, sets, costumes, musicians all
cost money – while still paying bills to rent the theatre, pay
the box office workers, and general upkeep – is crucial to
putting on your show. If you spend money you don’t have,
you may never get a chance to put on another musical.
3) Secure the CREATIVE team! Many people, including the
director, choreographer, music director, set designer, and
costume designer, go into perfecting each aspect of a show.
4) Have a PRODUCTION meeting with the creative team!
During these meetings the overall concept of the show
should be discussed. This includes everything from set
design to the logistics of costumes and props.
5) Actors AUDITION! This exciting process takes place
in Houston, New York, and Los Angeles. After the initial
auditions, callbacks are scheduled to let the director
compare the best candidates from each city. At callbacks
actors usually prepare a song or scene from the show.
6) CAST the show! During this step, in addition to deciding
which combinations of actors can interact in the most
believable fashion, the director and the actors’ agents
discuss payment for the actors.
7) Start REHEARSALS! Once casting is complete, rehearsals
can begin. Here, actors learn their blocking, songs, and
The Phantom of the Opera

dances. Rehearsals sometimes last only two

weeks before a show opens!
8) PREPARE all costumes, props, sets, and
lights. This takes weeks of work on the
production team’s effort so that every little detail
is taken care of. In some cases, this can begin
before rehearsals.
9) Have a TECH rehearsal! During this step, it is
important to have patience because perfecting
the lights, sound, and cues takes time. This
usually happens during one of the very last
rehearsals.
10) Go on for a fabulous OPENING night! Don’t
be nervous: enjoy all of your hard work coming
to fruition in the form of a great performance!

Wicked
 Librettist: No musical would be possible without the imagination
or inspiration of its authors. Over one-third of the musicals on
Broadway are based on an existing book, play, or movie (some
examples are Oprah Winfrey Presents The Color Purple, Legally
Blonde: The Musical, and Happy Days: A New Musical). Upon
other occasions, musicals are written from an original idea or
concept (like The Drowsy Chaperone). The librettist is the
book writer – the person that writes the script for the show.
While one might think that the music is the most important
portion of a show, historically, musicals with a strong score but
bad libretto tend to flop, while shows with an average score but
strong libretto have much greater chances of success.

Composer/Lyricist: The element of a musical which separates

it from other forms of theatre is the orchestration and songs.
Composers and lyricists begin to write the songs that fir the overall
tone of the musical, but the songs also further the plot so the audience
can better understand the show. The composer writes the music, while
the lyricist writes the words that accompany the melody. Sometimes, the
same person will perform both tasks.

Producer: The role of producer has greatly evolved over the years. In the past, a
show would only have one producer who has a tremendous impact on the creative
direction of the show. Many shows came to fruition because a single producer has
an idea for a musical and wanted to make it come to life. Now, musicals have become
big business with even bigger budgets and it is almost impossible for a singer producer to
support a show. Currently, Broadway shows tend to have a dozen producers, making it difficult
for one to exercise full creative control.

Investor: Traditionally, investors would give a few thousand dollars in return for some tickets and
possibly money back from their investment if the show was a hit. This is no longer possible, however,
because of the high price of producing a Broadway show. Investors now contribute hundreds of thousands
of dollars with little chance of making any form of profit. Why do this? Most investors enjoy being a part of
show business and receive perks like great seats to the show!

Director: The director is the person who stages the show, making it come to life for the audience. In the
past, directors were merely puppets doing what the producer envisioned, but since the 1950’s they have
taken control. A director works with the cast’s singing, acting, and dancing to tell a cohesive story for the
audience. The director will help each actor understand their character’s motivation, block the action, and
oversee how everything comes together. The director controls the overall artistic vision of the show.

Choreographer: A choreographer designs dance sequences for the performers that cohere with the
director’s vision. These dances are intricate movements that express the
meaning of each song. Through the choreography, the audience
should understand what each character is feeling. The
choreographer works a lot at the beginning of
the show process and works less and
less as the dances are perfected
close to the opening of
the show.
Casting Director: A casting director has the difficult job of finding the perfect person to play each role
in a production. They need to stay up-to-date on the changing talent scene and be ready to set up an
audition for major and minor roles at any moment. Casting directors usually work as contractors for a
variety of producers but in some cases top producers have exclusive contracts with a casting director.

Music Director: The music director is in control of all of the music in the show. They help the cast
learn the music, and then they are given the task of keeping all of the music to the correct tempos.
The music director often doubles as the orchestral conductor which works well as the music
director needs to know the music so well anyway. They are also usually in charge of recruiting
the members of the orchestra.

Costume Designer: The costume designer envisions and then creates the costumes
for everyone in the show, ensuring that each piece speaks to the audience just like any
other aspect of the production. While looking at the historical accuracy of designs,
the costume designer is able to utilize details in color and trims that express the
personality of that particular character or of a theme throughout the show.

Set Designer: The set designer plays an important backstage role by designing
how the stage itself should look. As set pieces are generally seen even before
the first performer, the set designer literally “sets the stage” for how the
audience perceives the show’s location in space and time. The set designer
also has to determine what each set piece should be constructed of and
how many materials will be needed. Sometimes, the set designer will
double as the scenic painter and paint the backgrounds and props too.

Lighting Designer: A lighting designer’s job is illuminating the stage

and placing more light on where the director wants the audience to
focus, such as the main character. He/she also has to set the tone
and mood of the show by using different forms and combinations
of light. A lighting designer needs to always pay attention to the
performers’ action during the shows, as well, to ensure that they do
not step out of the light.

Sound Director: A sound director has the complex job of ensuring

the performance is easy to hear! Since most of the performers
onstage wear a microphone, the sound designer needs to monitor the
levels of each
mic. This job was previously not even credited, but with the rise of technology and how the theatre community
has embraced it, this is now a crucial role in the production.

Stage Manager: The stage manager is usually the unsung hero of a production. They are in control of making
sure all the elements of a show come together during each and every performance. They are in control of “calling
the show,” meaning they cue the technical aspects of the show. They are in full
command of the backstage area, and once the show opens, they receive
full control from the director. Their script, the “stage manager’s
bible,” has every cue for the whole show marked so that
the action onstage can continue unimpeded.
The stage manager usually has a team
of assistants who can be anywhere,
doing whatever is needed.
 WHY IS MUSICAL THEATRE
IMPORTANT?
Musical theatre is unlike any other entertainment medium. Live theatrical experiences
not only involve the actors on stage, they engage the audience in ways that film and
television cannot. There is no real barrier between the performers and the audience like in film
and television. Each performance allows each audience member to become their own editor as they
choose which portion of the action to watch. The wonders of movies and television are remarkable, but
often they provide an isolated experience. Being part of the communal magic when performers and audience
members connect at the theatre cannot be duplicated. How the audience reacts to the show deeply affects the
actors. Something seemingly trivial like whispering or eating can distract the actors and alter the tone of their
performance.
Musical theatre can help students grow academically, artistically, and emotionally. Musical theatre writers,
lyricists, and composers have long looked to literature for their inspiration and subject material. As a
result, students have the opportunity to engage in literary analysis of both the story and its inspiration.
Elementary students can begin to learn about plot and characters, while more advanced students
can delve deeper, into theme, symbolism, and the historical context of the piece.
Students also have the opportunity to discover how all of the elements of the show
contribute to the final product. Musical theatre allows young people to explore
the elements of production beyond television and film and to gain
a greater appreciation for the performing arts in
general.

Theatre Etiquette
Here are some good tips to look over before you go
to the theatre:
Diagram of the
1. Arrive to the theatre on time - once the show has
started you can’t just barge in!
Stage
2. Keep the theatre clean - if for some reason you see
trash, pick it up and throw it away. Remember, no
snacks at the theatre!
3. Be considerate of others - the people around you
want to see the show just as much as you do; don’t
disturb them.
4. Don’t distract the actors - if you want to let them
know you like what they’re doing, clap for them when
appropriate!
5. Turn off all electronic devices - they can disturb
both the actors and other patrons
6. Remain seated during performances - if you stand
up to see something better, you make it so that the
people behind you can’t see at all!
7. No cameras/recordings - these would distract the
actors!
8. Stay until the end of the show - clapping during
the curtain call is the best way to say “thanks” to the
performers for a great show.
Audition: to perform in order to get a role in the production; usually includes singing, dancing,
and reading scenes from the show
Ballad: a slow, romantic song for actors to showcase vocal clarity
Blocking: the specific movements of actors on stage
Box: a separate compartment of seats usually elevated on the sides of the theatre, for the accommodation
of VIPs
“Calling the show:” the process of calling out the lighting, sound, and scene-change cues during a
performance, usually done by the stage manager
Child wrangler: one who works with child performers
Dress rehearsal: rehearsal in which performers practice with costumes and props
Dresser: one who assists performers with costume changes during dress rehearsals and shows
Electrician: one who works with the lighting designer to adjust and operate lighting movements
Ensemble/chorus: a group of singers, dancers, or actors who provide the backup during musical
numbers; can also include the entire cast in large numbers
Flyman: one who pulls the curtain before and after performances and operates the flying system, if used
Fourth wall: the imaginary wall at the front of the stage, through which the audience sees the action in the
world of the show
Gallery: the section of seats in a theatre farthest away from the stage; separated into front and rear gallery
Head carpenter: one who builds the sets for the production
House left: the left side of the theatre, when facing the stage (audience’s point of view)
House right: the right side of the theatre, when facing the stage (audience’s point of view)
Makeup artist: one who applies cosmetics to a performer’s face and/or body
Mezzanine: the middle section of seats in a theatre between the orchestra and gallery; separated into front
and rear mezzanine
Orchestra section: the seats immediately behind the orchestra pit
Principals: the leading actors, those who portray the major roles
Program: a listing of the order of events, names of the cast and crew, and other relevant information
Property (props) master: one who manages all items used on stage that cannot be classified as scenery,
electrics, or wardrobe
Read-through: the cast reads through the script without movement or music
Rehearsal pianist: one who plays the piano for early-stage rehearsals
Set designer: one who creates the scenery for the stage
Sitzprobe: the first rehearsal with both the performers and the orchestra but with no staging or dancing
Sound board: a desk comprising of a number of input channels where each sound source is provided
with its own control channel through which sound signals are routed into two or more outputs; changes the
quality of the sound
Sound designer: one who plans and executes the layout of all sound playback and equipment for the show
Sound operator: one who handles the sound playback and mixing equipment during the show
Sound effects designer: one who creates or enhances sounds that are not part of the music or dialogue
Stage left: the left side of the stage, when facing the audience (performer’s point of view)
Stage right: the right side of the stage, when facing the audience (performer’s point of view)
Swings: one who is prepared to substitute for ensemble or chorus members who are unable to perform
Technical rehearsal: rehearsal incorporating the technical elements of a show, such as the scene and
property shifts, lighting, sound, and special effects
Understudy: one who studies a role and is prepared to substitute for the principal performer when needed
Usher: one who guides audience members to their seats
Wanderprobe: rehearsal in which the performers practice singing and dancing while the orchestra plays

Glossary of Theatre Terms

 Review Questions
The following questions are
intended to help students learn
Review Activities
the basics of musical theatre.
1st-5th grades
Evolution
Checking for Understanding - objective: to learn the major shows throughout the history of
1. What is the definition of musical musical theatre
theatre? - activity: have students create a timeline of the major steps
2. Who formulated the musical as in musical theatre history. They can draw or find and cut out
we know it? pictures to represent each one.
3. What was the problem facing - materials: construction paper, crayons/markers/colored pencils
musical theatre in the 1920’s? Everyone’s A Star!
4. What was the first musical to - objective: to learn the elements of a production, stimulate
incorporate storytelling in imagination, develop teamwork skills, build self-confidence
dance? - activity: choose a story to turn into a play. Divide the
5. What years were the Golden Age production team (director, costume designer, choreographer)
of theatre? and actors. Follow the step-by-step guide and put on a show!
6. How can you be your own editor - materials: optional props and/or costumes
when attending a theatre 6th-8th grades
performance?
Inspiration
7. What does a choreographer do?
- objective: to learn how historical context has changed musical
8. Draw a diagram noting upstage,
theatre, and develop research and public speaking skills
downstage, stage left, and stage
- activity: have students choose a musical to research and then
right. Can you further divide it?
create a presentation of how the show reflects the times in which
9. What are four major theatre
it was created, including historical figures, political issues, etc.
etiquette tips?
Encourage students to watch show clips and listen to the lyrics.
Critical Thinking Onstage
1. Do you think theatre from - objective: to gain understanding of the physical limitations of
another time period would the theatre
interest us today? Why or why - activity: have students create dioramas depicting a scene
not? Give an example. from a musical that has also been turned into a movie. Give
2. What about musical theatre all students to-scale dimensions to use. Students should gain
seems the most interesting? appreciation for the designers’ ability to showcase grand scenes
Why? in such a limited space. Suggested musicals: Singin’ in the Rain,
3. Spectacle is very important The Sound of Music, Beauty and the Beast, Legally Blonde
in musicals today. Do you think
it will continue to
9th-12th grades
be important? What technology Debate
might have encouraged this? - objective: to learn the differences between various media and
4. What step do you think is the develop public speaking and verbal skills
most important in making a - activity: Divide the class into three groups and have each
musical? The most choose a form of media. Have the groups debate on which is
challenging? The most fun? best for expressing beliefs and stories. Students should leave
5. What theatre element seems the understanding the differences in each medium.
most important? Do you think You’re The Producer
your classmates would feel the - objective: to learn the intense planning a full-scale production
same? requires
6. If you were to teach a child how - activity: give each student a “budget” with which to put on
to behave at the theatre, what a show and see who, after research online and with local
would you tell them? resources, could stage a production in your hometown.
 About the Show:
Background, History, and the People Behind Cabaret
The libretto of Cabaret was based on Christopher Isherwood’s lightly autobiographical short stories
about life in Berlin in the years under the rule of the Nazi party, and on the play drawn from them by John van
Druten and produced, with considerable success, as I Am a Camera. The musical’s action was set up in the
‘framework’ manner, with the principal tale of the piece loosely (though not wholly) inset into the entertainment
and goings-on in a strikingly decadent Berlin cabaret house, and introduced by a leering, epicene Master
of Ceremonies (originally played by Joel Grey). Ebb and Kander’s songs were shared between material for
the cabaret scenes and numbers set into the two romances of the text. Harold Prince’s Tony Award winning
production played had a good and widely enough spread life, if not an outstanding one, and that might pretty
well have been it.
But a 1972 film version of Cabaret gave the show a second and even more popular lease of life. The
screenplay kept, though slightly altered, the Cliff/Sally story, but cut the Schneider/Schultz plot and replaced it
by another love story, for younger and more beautiful people, culled from elsewhere in Isherwood’s tales. The
score, deprived of Fraulein Schneider’s characterful numbers, more than compensated with a new solo for
Sally in the trumpetingly desperate ‘Maybe This Time’, a raunchier ‘Mein Herr’ to replace the nearly-naughty
‘Don’t Tell Mama’, and a new money number, ‘Money, Money, Money’, like the two other added pieces featuring
the film’s star, Liza Minnelli, in the role of Sally. Grey repeated his stage Emcee, at the head of Bob Fosse’s
cabaret entertainment, whilst Marisa Berenson and Fritz Wepper were the personable pair with problems of
Judaism and Helmut Griem appeared as a representative of cultured decadence, a beautiful, blue-eyed Baron
who has affairs with both Sally and Brian (ex-Cliff). The enormous success of the film — one of the very
few films of a popular musical play to actually outrank its original stage show — led not only to a worldwide
fame for the piece, and to many further productions in a multiplicity of areas and languages, but also to a
considerable alteration in the nature of the show.

Joe Masteroff (Book) is a Tony Fred Ebb (Lyrics) was a

Award-winning American playwright. Born musical theatre lyricist who had
in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on December many successful collaborations with
11, 1919, Masteroff graduated from Temple composer John Kander. Ebb was
University and served with the United States born in Manhattan to a Jewish family,
Air Force during World War II. He studied with and worked during the early 1950s in
the American Theatre Wing from 1949-1951 many different odd jobs. In 1955, he
and began his career as an actor, making his graduated from New York University
Broadway debut in The Prescott Proposals in with a B.A. in English Literature,
1953. and two years later, he earned his
Following a national tour, Masterhoff’s Master’s from Columbia University. His first professional
first play, The Warm Peninsula, opened on writing experience was with Phil Springer, with whom Ebb
Broadway in 1959. Three years later, when wrote “Heartbroken” (1953), which was recorded by Judy
Hal Prince gained control Garland, the mother of his future protégée, Liza Minnelli.
of the rights to John Van In 2004, Ebb died of a heart attack at his home in
Druten’s play I Am a Camera New York City. At the time of his death, Ebb was working
and The Berlin Stories by on a new musical with Kander, Curtains. The project
Christopher Isherwood, he had already lost its book writer, Peter Stone, who died in
hired Masterhoff. Cabaret won 2001. The show’s orchestrator, Michael Gibson, also died
the Tony for Best Musical and while the project was underway. Coincidentally, the show
ran for 1165 performances. is about a series of deaths during the production of a
Broadway musical.
 John Harold Kander (composer) attended The Pembroke
Country-Day School and Oberlin College before earning a master’s
degree at Columbia University. He began his Broadway career as
substitute rehearsal pianist for West Side Story. The stage manager for West
Side Story then asked Kander to play the auditions for her next show, Gypsy.
During the auditions Kander met the choreographer, Jerome Robbins, who then
suggested that Kander actually write the dance music for the show in 1959. After
that experience, he wrote dance arrangements for Irma la Douce in 1960. His first
produced musical was A Family Affair, written with James and William Goldman.
In 1965 he teamed up with Fred Ebb to write Flora the Red Menace, produced
by Hal Prince, directed by George Abbott, and with book by George Abbott and
Robert Russell, in which Liza Minnelli made her initial Broadway appearance. In
the same year rising star Barbra Streisand recorded two of the duo’s songs, “My
Coloring Book” and “I Don’t Care Much.”. It proved to be a success and launched the pair on their career.

John William Van Druten (playwright of I Am A Camera) was an English playwright and theatre
director, known professionally as John van Druten. He began his career in London, and later moved to
America becoming a US citizen. He was known for his plays of witty and urbane observations of contemporary
life and society. Van Druten was born in London on June 1, 1901, son of a Dutch father, Wilhelmus van
Druten and his English wife Eva. He was educated at University College School
and read Law at the University of London. Before commencing his career as a
writer he practiced law for a while as a solicitor and university lecturer in Wales.
He first came to prominence with Young Woodley, a slight but charming
study of adolescence, which was produced in New York in 1925, but was
unaccountably banned by the Lord Chamberlain’s office. In England, it was first
produced privately (by Phyllis Whitworth’s Three Hundred Club) and then at the
Arts Theatre in 1928. When the ban was lifted, it had a successful run at the
Savoy Theatre in the West End. The play was filmed twice. It was revived at the
Finborough Theatre, London, in 2006.
He was one of the most successful playwrights of the early 1930’s in
London with star-studded West End productions of his work. He later emigrated
to America and in 1944, he became a naturalized citizen of the United States. His
1951 play I Am a Camera, formed the basis of Cabaret.
He died in Indio, California, on 19 December 1957.

Christopher Isherwood (author of Goodbye to Berlin) was the son of a British Lieutenant-Colonel
belonging to the upper gentry, he was born in his family’s ancestral seat, Wyberslegh Hall, High Lane, Cheshire
(now in Greater Manchester) in the northwest of England, and spent his childhood in various towns where his
father was stationed. After his father was killed in the First World War, he settled with his
mother in London and at Wyberslegh. In 1928-29 Isherwood studied medicine in London,
but gave it up after a few months to go to Berlin.
Rejecting his upper-class background, he remained in Berlin, the capital of the young
Weimar Republic, drawn by its deserved reputation for sexual freedom. There, he “fully
indulged his taste for pretty youths.” In 1931 he met Jean Ross, the inspiration of his fictional
character Sally Bowles. He worked as a private tutor in Berlin and elsewhere while writing
a series of short stories collected under the title Goodbye to Berlin. These provided the
inspiration for the play I Am a Camera, the subsequent musical Cabaret and the film of the
same name.
 Cast of Characters
~~ Cliff Bradshaw - an American expatriate who comes to Berlin
for inspiration for the novel he is trying to write
~~ Sally Bowles - a British woman who sings at the Kit-kat Club
and enjoys living a life of frivolity and pleasure, ignoring what is
going on in the world around her
~~ Fraulein Schneider - the German woman who runs the
boardinghouse where everyone lives
~~ Fraulein Kost - another woman who lives in the boardinghouse
and who inadvertently causes Fraulein Schneider and Herr
Schultz to become engaged
~~ Herr Schultz - a Jewish grocer who sells fruits; he falls in love
and proposes to Fraulein Schneider
~~ Emcee - the master of ceremonies at the Kit-Kat Club who
narrates the story and provides social commentary on the
current state of affairs in Germany as it unfolds

Song List
1. Willkommen
2. So What
3. Don’t Tell Mama
4. Mein Heir
5. Perfectly Marvelous
6. Two Ladies
7. It Couldn’t Please Me More
8. Tomorrow Belongs To Me
9. Maybe This Time
10. Money
11. Married
12. Tomorrow Belongs To Me (reprise)
13. Entr’Acte
14. Married (reprise)
15. If You Could See Her
16. What Would You Do?
17. I Don’t Care Much
18. Cabaret
19. Finale
 Synopsis
In the darkness, silence. A drum roll builds steadily like a
wave, and crashes with a cymbal’s sharp reverberation. From the
orchestra, a steady vamp begins. As the pulse grows stronger a
spotlight on the stage grows brighter. Then, into the spotlight he
steps. Chalk white face, crimson lips, he is as menacing as he is
fascinating, he is the Emcee. He invites us and we follow-into the
decadent provocative world of the cabaret.
Sally Bowles, a little middle-class lass from Chelsea, London,
is working as a singer at Berlin’s Kit-Kat Club and doing her best to
live the thrillingly decadent life which the city is supposed to offer.
Into her orbit comes Cliff Bradshaw, a young American writer, and
Sally soon moves determinedly in to join him in his room in the
boarding house run by Fraulein Schneider. Their fellow lodgers
include the cheerful prostitute, Fraulein Kost, and the gentle,
graying grocer Herr Schultz. Sally, now pregnant by Cliff, is still
determined to show the world what a good time she is having and
she will not or cannot hear the noises of Nazism around her. But the
others can.
Schultz courts Fraulein Schneider with old-world courtesy and
they become engaged, but the fruiterer is Jewish and, when some
Nazi sympathizers break up their engagement party, the old maid
is obliged to let her dream of a marriage go. Cliff finds he has been
almost unwittingly couriering Nazi funds for one of his language
pupils and he is beaten up when he refuses to continue to do so.
It is time to leave Berlin. But poor, self-deluded Sally cannot let the
party end. She has her child aborted and, all responsibility gone,
she watches Cliff take the train for Paris alone. Back in the cabaret,
the Emcee introduces the same show as before. The show must go
on...
 Review Activities
1. Describe the major plot of Cabaret in one or two sentences.

2. Using the synopsis, identify the five most important plot points in Cabaret. Explain the
importance of each event to the story in one sentence and create a chronological timeline using
pictures to illustrate each event.

3. Become familiar with the meaning of exposition. In Cabaret, what information was given that helped
you understand the action of the story? If the information were not given, how hard would it have been
to understand the plot? Explain something you wouldn’t know if you hadn’t seen the exposition.

4. Read the lyrics to “Maybe This Time.” What is the main message behind this song? Can you see
yourself relating to the lyrics at some point in your life? Why or why not?

5. Become familiar with the meaning of resoulution. Identify and describe events in the story that can
be considered part of the resolution. Why do you think the ending happened the way it did?

Writing Exercise
This musical is special because it has lots of
different character types in it. The different types of
characters are just like there are different types of
personalities people have.
Think back through the whole performance and
find a character you are most like. In a journal entry,
explain why you are similar to this particular character.
What types of problems do they get into? Could you see
yourself getting into a similar position? Write about how
you would handle the situation differently, or why you
would do the same.
Finally, no one is going to be exactly like the
characters in this musical, so talk about what makes you
different from the character. Afterwards, talk as a class to
find out who was the most and least likely character to be
chosen.
 A LessonCabaret
in History:
The Background of
Cabaret is set in Germany in the 1930s, right as Adolf Hitler takes over the country and the beginnings
of World War II are set in motion. World War II, or the Second World War (often abbreviated WWII), was a
global military conflict which involved the majority of the world’s nations organized into two opposing military
alliances: the Allies (Great Britain, France, United States, China, and Russia, including many others) and the
Axis (Japan, Germany, and Italy were the main Axis nations). The war involved the mobilization of over 100
million military personnel, making it the most widespread war in history. In a state of “total war,” the major
participants placed their complete economic, industrial, and scientific capabilities at the service of of the war
effort, erasing the distinction between civilian and military resources. Over 70 million people, the majority of
them civilians, were killed, making it the deadliest conflict in human history. The total financial cost of the war
for all parties involved is estimated at about $1 trillion U.S. dollars, making it the most expensive war as well.
Many events influenced the initiation of WWII, not just Hitler’s desire to eliminate the Jewish people
from Germany. Economic and political sanctions on Germany after the first World War, delineated in the
Treaty of Versailles and coupled with the Great Depression, set the stage for Hitler to take power. The Great
Depression resulted in a 33% unemployment rate in Germany. Severe unemployment prompted the Nazi
Party, which had been losing favor, to experience a surge in
membership. This, more than anything, contributed to the rise
of Hitler in Germany and therefore World War II in Europe. After
the end of World War I many American industries and banks
invested their money in rebuilding Europe. This happened in
many European countries, but especially in Germany. After
the 1929 crash, many American investors fearing that they
would lose their money, or having lost all their capital, stopped
investing as heavily in Europe.
Hitler was appointed chancellor on January 30, 1933. The
arson of the parliament building on February 27 (which some
have claimed the Nazis had instigated) was used as an excuse
for the cancellation of civil and political liberties, enacted by the
aged President Paul von Hindenburg and the rightist coalition
cabinet led by Hitler.
After new elections, a Nazi-led majority abolished parliamentarism, the Weimar Constitution,
and practically the parliament itself through the Enabling Act on March 23, whereby the Nazis’ planned
Gleichschaltung (“bringing into line”) of Germany was made formally legal, giving the Nazis totalitarian
control over German society. In the “Night of the Long Knives,” Hitler’s men murdered his main political
rivals. After Hindenburg died on August 2, 1934, the authority of the presidency fell into the hands of Adolf
Hitler. Without much resistance from the army leadership, the Soldiers’ Oath was modified into an oath of
obedience to Adolf Hitler personally.
In violation of the Treaty of Versailles and the spirit of the Locarno Pact, Germany remilitarized the
Rhineland on Saturday, March 7, 1936. The occupation was done with very little military force; the troops
entered on bicycles and could easily have been stopped had it not been for the appeasement mentality.
The starting date of the war is generally held to be September 1, 1939, beginning with the German
invasion of Poland and subsequent declarations of war on Germany by the United Kingdom, France and
the British Dominions. In 1945, the Allies were victorious, and, as a result, the United Nations was formed
in the hope of preventing another such conflict. The self-determination spawned by the war accelerated
decolonization movements in Asia and Africa, while Western Europe itself began moving toward integration.

Events Leading to World War II
When Adolf Hitler came to power in Germany on January 30, 1933, the persecution
and exodus of Germany’s 525,000 Jews began almost immediately. In his autobiography Mein
Kampf (1925), Hitler had been open about his hatred of Jews, and gave ample warning of his
intention to drive them from Germany’s political, intellectual, and cultural life. He did not write that he
would attempt to exterminate them, but he is reported to have been more explicit in private. As early as
1922, he allegedly told Major Joseph Hell, a journalist at the time:

“Once I really am in power, my first and foremost task

will be the annihilation of the Jews. As soon as I have the
power to do so, I will have gallows built in rows — at the
Marienplatz in Munich, for example — as many as traffic
allows. Then the Jews will be hanged indiscriminately...
As soon as they have been untied, the next batch will be
strung up, and so on down the line, until the last Jew in
Munich has been exterminated. Other cities will follow
suit, precisely in this fashion, until all Germany has been
completely cleansed of Jews.”

Jewish intellectuals were among the first to leave.

The philosopher Walter Benjamin left for Paris on March 18, 1933. Novelist Leon Feuchtwanger went
to Switzerland. The conductor Bruno Walter fled after being told that the hall of the Berlin Philharmonic
would be burned down if he conducted a concert there: the Frankfurter Zeitung explained on April 6 that
Walter and fellow conductor Otto Klemperer had been forced to flee because the government was unable
to protect them against the “mood” of the German public, which had been provoked by “Jewish artistic
liquidators.”Albert Einstein was visiting the U.S. on January 30, 1933. He returned to Ostende in Belgium,
never to set foot in Germany again, and calling events there a “psychic illness of the masses;” he was
expelled from the Kaiser Wilhelm Society and the Prussian Academy of Sciences, and his citizenship was
rescinded.
Throughout the 1930s, the legal, economic, and social rights of Jews were steadily restricted. For
the Nazis, Germany drew its strength for its “purity of blood” and its “rootedness in the sacred German
earth.” In 1933, a series of laws were passed to exclude Jews from key areas: the Civil Service Law; the
physicians’ law; and the farm law, forbidding Jews from owning farms or taking part in agriculture. Jewish
lawyers were disbarred, and in Dresden, Jewish lawyers and judges were dragged out of their offices and
courtrooms, and beaten up. Jews were excluded from schools and universities, and from belonging to the
Journalists’ Association, or from being newspaper editors The Deutsche Allgemeine Zeitung of April 27,
1933 wrote:

“A self-respecting nation cannot, on a scale accepted up to now, leave its higher activities in the
hands of people of racially foreign origin … Allowing the presence of too high a percentage of
people of foreign origin in relation to their percentage in the general population could be interpreted
as an acceptance of the superiority of other races, something decidedly to be rejected.”

In 1935, Hitler introduced the Nuremberg Laws, which stripped German Jews of their citizenship and
deprived them of all civil rights. In his speech introducing the laws, Hitler said that if the “Jewish problem”
cannot be solved by these laws, it “must then be handed over by law to the National-Socialist Party for a
final solution (Endlösung).” The expression “Endlösung” became the standard Nazi euphemism for the
extermination of the Jews. In January 1939, he said in a public speech:

“If international-finance Jewry inside and outside Europe should succeed once more in plunging
the nations into yet another world war, the consequences will not be the Bolshevization of the earth
and thereby the victory of Jewry, but the annihilation (vernichtung) of the Jewish race in Europe.”
 In 1938, Germany annexed Austria in an event called the Anschluss. Such an action was
expressly forbidden by the Treaty of Versailles. As such, the Austrian National Socialist Party and
Austria’s German nationalist movement became dependent on their northern neighbor. Hitlerian
Germany pressed for the Austrian Nazi Party’s legality, played a critical role in the assassination of
Austrian chancellor, Engelbert Dollfuss, and pressured for several Austrian Nazi Party members to be
incorporated into offices within the administration.
Following a Hitler speech at the Reichstag, Dollfuss’ successor, Kurt Schuschnigg, made it clear that
he could be pushed “no further.” Amidst mounting pressures from Germany, he elected to hold a plebiscite,
hoping to retain autonomy. However, just days prior to the balloting, a successful Austrian Nazi Party coup
transferred power within the country. The takeover allowed German troops to enter Austria as “enforcers of
the Anschluss,” since the Party quickly transferred power to Hitler. Consequently, no fighting occurred as most
Austrians were enthusiastic, and Austria ceased to exist as an independent state.
Another region Germany wished to conquer was the Sudetenland: a predominantly German-speaking
region along the Western borders of Czechoslovakia with Germany. The Sudetenland region also comprised
about one third of Bohemia (western Czechoslovakia) in terms of territory, population, and economy.
Czechoslovakia had a modern army of 38 divisions, backed by a well-noted armament industry (Škoda) as
well as military alliances with France and Soviet Union. Hitler pressed for the Sudetenland’s incorporation,
supporting German separatist groups within the Sudeten region. Alleged Czech brutality and persecution
under Prague helped to stir up nationalist tendencies, as did the Nazi press. After the Anschluss, all German
parties (except German Social-Democratic party) merged with the Sudeten German Party (SdP). Paramilitary
activity and extremist violence peaked during this period and the Czechoslovakian government declared
martial law in parts of the Sudetenland to maintain order. This only complicated the situation, especially
now that Slovakian nationalism was rising, out of suspicion towards Prague and Nazi encouragement. Citing
the need to protect the Germans in Czechoslovakia, Germany requested the immediate annexation of the
Sudetenland.
In the Munich Agreement of September 30, 1938, British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain and
French leaders appeased Hitler. The conferring powers allowed Germany to move troops into the region
and incorporate it into the Reich “for the sake of peace.” In exchange for this, Hitler gave his word that
Germany would make no further territorial claims in Europe. Czechoslovakia, which had already mobilized
over one million troops and was prepared to fight, was not allowed to participate in the conference. When the
French and British negotiators informed the Czechoslovak representatives about the agreement, and that if
Czechoslovakia would not accept it, France and Britain would consider Czechoslovakia to be responsible for
war, President Edvard Beneš capitulated. Germany took the Sudetenland unopposed. In March 1939, breaking
the Munich Agreement, German troops invaded Prague, and with the Slovaks declaring independence, the
country of Czechoslovakia disappeared. The entire ordeal ended the French and British policy of appeasement
and enabled Germany to grow stronger in Europe. Germany next set its sights upon Poland.
Tensions had existed between Poland and Germany for some time in regards to the Free City of
Danzig and the Polish Corridor. This had been settled in 1934 by a nonaggression pact but in spring of 1939,
tensions rose again. Finally, after issuing several proposals, Germany declared that diplomatic measures had
been exhausted, and shortly after the Hitler-Stalin pact had been signed, invaded Poland on September 1,
1939. Britain and France had previously warned that they would honor their alliances to Poland and issued an
ultimatum to Germany: withdraw or war would be declared. Germany declined, and what became World War II
was declared by the British and French, without entering the war effectively. The Soviet Union invaded Poland
from the east on September 17.
The question of the treatment of the Jews became an urgent one for the Nazis after September
1939, when they occupied the western half of Poland, home to about two million Jews. Reinhard Heydrich
recommended concentrating all the Polish Jews in ghettos in major cities, where they would be put to work
for the German war industry. The ghettos would be in cities located on railway junctions, so that, in Heydrich’s
words, “future measures can be accomplished more easily.” During his interrogation in 1961, Adolf Eichmann
testified that the expression “future measures” was understood to mean “physical extermination.”
The Holocaust
The Holocaust is the term generally used to describe the genocide of approximately six
million European Jews during World War II, as part of a program of deliberate extermination planned and
executed by the Nazi regime in Germany, led by Adolf Hitler. Other groups were persecuted and killed by the
regime, including the Roma (a native people), Soviets (particularly prisoners of war), Communists, ethnic
Poles, other Slavic people, the disabled, homosexuals, and political and religious dissidents. Many scholars
do not include these groups in the definition of the Holocaust, defining it as the genocide of the Jews, or
what the Nazis called the “Final Solution of the Jewish Question.” Taking into account all the victims of Nazi
persecution, the death toll rises considerably: estimates generally place the total number of victims at nine to
eleven million.
The persecution and genocide were accomplished in stages. Legislation to remove the Jews from civil
society was enacted years before the outbreak of World War II. Concentration camps were established in which
inmates were used as slave labour until they died of exhaustion or disease. Where the Third Reich conquered
new territory in eastern Europe, specialized units murdered Jews and political opponents in mass shootings.
Jews and Roma were crammed into ghettos before being transported hundreds of miles by freight train to
extermination camps where, if they survived the journey, the majority of them were killed in gas chambers.
Every arm of Germany’s bureaucracy was involved in the logistics of the mass murder, turning the country into
what one Holocaust scholar has called “a genocidal state.”
Every arm of the country’s sophisticated bureaucracy was involved in the killing process. Parish
churches and the Interior Ministry supplied birth records showing who was Jewish; the Post Office delivered
the deportation and denaturalization orders; the Finance Ministry confiscated Jewish property; German firms
fired Jewish workers and disenfranchised Jewish stockholders; the universities refused to admit Jews, denied
degrees to those already studying, and fired Jewish academics; government transport offices arranged the
trains for deportation to the camps; German pharmaceutical companies tested drugs on camp prisoners;
companies bid for the contracts to build the ovens; detailed lists of victims were drawn up using the Dehomag
company’s punch card machines, producing meticulous records of the killings. As prisoners entered the
death camps, they were made to surrender all personal property, which was carefully catalogued and tagged
before being sent to Germany to be reused or recycled. A historian writes that the Final Solution of the Jewish
question was “in the eyes of the perpetrators … Germany’s greatest achievement.”
Saul Friedländer writes that: “Not one social group, not one religious community, not one scholarly
institution or professional association in Germany and throughout Europe declared its solidarity with the
Jews.” He writes that some Christian churches declared that converted Jews should be regarded as part of the
flock, but even then only up to a point. Friedländer argues that this makes the Holocaust distinctive because
antisemitic policies were able to unfold without the interference of countervailing forces normally found in
advanced societies, such as industry, small businesses, churches, and other vested interests and lobby groups.
In other genocides, pragmatic considerations such as control of territory and resources were central
to the genocide policy. Yehuda Bauer argues that then, “an international Jewish conspiracy to control the
world was opposed to a parallel Aryan quest. No genocide to date had been based so completely on myths,
on hallucinations, on abstract, nonpragmatic ideology — which was then executed by very rational, pragmatic
means.”
The slaughter was systematically conducted in virtually all areas of Nazi-occupied territory in what
are now 35 separate European countries. It was at its worst in Central and Eastern Europe, which had more
than seven million Jews in 1939. About five million Jews were killed there, including three million in occupied
Poland, and over one million in the Soviet Union. Hundreds of thousands also died in the Netherlands, France,
Belgium, Yugoslavia, and Greece. The Wannsee Protocol makes clear that the Nazis also intended to carry out
their “Final Solution of the Jewish question” in England and Ireland.
Anyone with three or four Jewish grandparents was to be exterminated without exception. In other
genocides, people were able to escape death by converting to another religion or in some other way
assimilating. This option was not available to the Jews of occupied Europe. All persons of recent Jewish
ancestry were to be exterminated in lands controlled by Germany.
 By the end of 1941, Himmler and Heydrich were becoming increasingly impatient with
the progress of the Final Solution. The men presented a plan for killing all the Jews in Europe,
including 330,000 Jews in England and 4,000 in Ireland, although records refer to this only
through euphemisms, such as “ … emigration has now been replaced by evacuation to the
East. This operation should be regarded only as a provisional option, though in view of the
coming Final Solution of the Jewish question it is already supplying practical experience of vital importance.”
The officials were told there were 2.3 million Jews in the General Government, 850,000 in Hungary,
1.1 million in the other occupied countries, and about 3 million in the Soviet Union —a total of about 6.5
million. These would all be transported by train to extermination camps (Vernichtungslager) in Poland, where
those unfit for work would be gassed at once. In some camps, such as Auschwitz, those fit for work would be
kept alive for a while, but eventually all would be killed.
During 1942, in addition to Auschwitz, five other camps were designated as extermination camps
(Vernichtungslager) for the carrying out of the Reinhard plan. Two of these, Chelmno (also known as
Kulmhof) and Majdanek were already functioning as labor camps: these now had extermination facilities
added to them. Three new camps were built for the sole purpose of killing large numbers of Jews as quickly
as possible: Belzec, Sobibór and Treblinka. A seventh camp, at Maly Trostinets in Belarus, was also used for
this purpose. Jasenovac was an extermination camp where mostly ethnic Serbs were killed.
Extermination camps are frequently confused with concentration camps such as Dachau and Belsen,
which were mostly located in Germany and intended as places
of incarceration and forced labor for a variety of enemies of the
Nazi regime. They should also be distinguished from slave labor
camps, which were set up in all German-occupied countries
to exploit the labor of prisoners of various kinds, including
prisoners of war. In all Nazi camps there were very high death
rates from starvation, disease and exhaustion, but only the
extermination camps were designed specifically for mass killing.
The extermination camps were run by SS officers, but most of
the guards were Ukrainian or Baltic auxiliaries. Regular German
soldiers were kept well away.
At the extermination camps, all the prisoners arrived by
train. Sometimes entire trainloads were sent straight to the gas chambers, but usually the camp doctor on
duty subjected individuals to selections, where a small percentage were deemed fit to work in the slave labor
camps; the majority were taken directly from the platforms to a reception area where all their clothes and
possessions were seized by the Nazis to fund the war. They were then herded naked into the gas chambers.
Usually they were told these were showers or delousing chambers, and there were signs outside saying
“baths” and “sauna.” They were sometimes given a piece of soap and a towel so as to avoid panic, and
were told to remember where they had put their belongings for the same reason. At first, the bodies were
buried in deep pits and covered with lime, but between September and November 1942, on the orders of
Himmler, they were dug up and burned. In the spring of 1943, new gas chambers and crematoria were built
to accommodate the numbers.
The first major camp, Majdanek, was discovered by the advancing Soviets on July 23, 1944.
Auschwitz was liberated, also by the Soviets, on January 27, 1945; Buchenwald by the Americans on April
11; Bergen-Belsen by the British on April 15; Dachau by the Americans on April 29; Ravensbrück by the
Soviets on the same day; Mauthausen by the Americans on May 5; and Theresienstadt by the Soviets on May
8. Treblinka, Sobibor, and Belzec were never liberated, but were destroyed by the Nazis in 1943.

“ We heard a loud voice repeating the same words in English and in German:
“Hello, hello. You are free. We are British soldiers and have come to liberate you.”
These words still resound in my ears. ”
—Hadassah Rosensaft, inmate of Bergen-Belsen.
 A Lesson in Literature:
A deeper analysis of the words behind the show
Plot diagram
A - Introduction or Exposition - setting, characters,
main conflicts are introduced to the reader; this is the
beginning of a novel or story and may be short or long,
but is always flat (little action or emotion).
B - Rising Action - the characters are developed, the
conflicts are increased and acted out in many ways,
motives are introduced, things happen; generally, the
major part of a novel or story.
C - Climax - the “high point” of a story in which the
major conflicts erupt in some kind of final showdown
(fight, argument, violent or physical action, very tense
emotional moment...); at the end of the climax, the “winner” will be clear (there is not always a winner!).
D - Falling Action - what events immediately follow the climax; a kind of “cleaning up.”
E - Resolution (also called denouement) - where everything ends; the reader may have some sense of
“closure” or may be asked to think about what might come next; in fairy tales, the Happy Ending; in some
novels, you will read about the characters many years later.

Figurative Language
Metaphor - the comparison of two unlike things to suggest things which they have in common - for example:
“Joe is a lion on the playing field” would compare Joe to a lion in how he moves, his aggression, his animal-like
actions, his skill and strength, his leadership. When you identify a metaphor, you have to dig deeply to find all of
the layers of possible meaning.

Simile - a comparison of two unlike things using like or as - for example: “Sue flits through life like a moth in a
room of candles” compares Sue to a delicate, fluttering moth which is drawn to fire and raises an image of both
delight and confusion, perhaps also mindlessness and upcoming death or failure. Like a metaphor, a simile can
seem obvious, but it is usually telling you something about a character or setting if you are willing to dig a little
deeper.

Extended metaphor - a paragraph or longer of description which builds upon an initial metaphor, often bring-
ing several of the senses (sight, sound, touch, hearing, taste) into play. This is often used by an author seeking
to make a point in a setting description or seeking to create a character for the narrator or narrative focus (e.g.:
imaginative, naive, fanciful, terrified)

Hyperbole - an obvious and unrealistic exaggeration - for example: “His gaping jaw could hold a flock of the
King’s fattest sheep” indicates excess and perhaps a fearful or highly imaginative narrative focus. A good way to
identify hyperbole is to ask yourself the old tall-tale question: Just how [tall, wide, hungry, lazy, angry...] was he/
she/it?
Investigating Plot Elements
1. Describe the main plot of the story in a brief paragraph. Next, identify a subplot, and
summarize it and its relationship to the main plot.

2. Using the synopsis, categorize the important moments of the story into rising action,
the climax, falling action, and the resolution. Briefly explain why you chose each
moment in one or two sentences.

3. Become familiar with the meaning of exposition. In Cabaret, what information was
given that helped you understand the action of the story? In what ways did the show
communicate this information? If the information were not given, how hard would it
have been to understand the plot?

4. Is there an antagonist of the story? Who would be if you think so? If you don’t think
there is an antagonist, why do you believe this?

5. What, in your opinion, is the first aspect of rising action in the show? Compare with
your classmates and decide as a group what event spurs on the plot of the story.

Investigating Thematic Elements

1. Name one common thing all the main characters are wishing for in this musical. Why
is this important?

2. Name an important lesson that one of the main characters learns in Act 2.

3. How does the director foreshadow the coming conflict of World War II? Can you
see it in costuming changes, orchestrations in the music, choreography, or any other
aspects of the show? Try to find at least three, and then share your responses with a
partner. Did you come up with the same aspects of the show?

4. If you had to make a moral for this story, what would it be? Give examples and
background information to support your opinion.

5. This story begins and ends with Cliff traveling to another country. Why do you think
this is? Why not just have him start already in Germany?

6. Take the lyrics to one of the songs from the musical. Do you notice any figurative
language in it?
 You Be the Critic!
Reviews in newspapers and on the internet
are written to comment on productions of plays and
musicals and to give some insight about the show for
the reader. Good reviewers learn something about the
playwright and the history of the play before writing
their reviews. They then watch the play with an eye
for the quality of the acting, directing, and design of
the production as well as the writing of the play. A
reviewer analyzes the production itself not what the
reviewer thinks the production should have been.
The responsible reviewer shares his/her experience
of attending the play with the reader in an effort to
enlighten and spark interest in the show.
Follow the instructions below to write your own
critique, and then compare them with your classmates.
Did you focus on different aspects of the show? Why
do you think this is?

How to Write a Critique of a Show:

1. Make an opening statement that summarizes your responses to the production.

2. Discuss one performance in the play. Use very specific details to support your reactions to that
performance. DO NOT say you like the performance because the actor was funny or because the
actor made you cry. Rather, relate specific things the actor did to be funny or to make you cry. Use the
vocabulary you have learned from the Musical Theatre 101 section to support your conclusions.

3. Discuss how the sets, costumes and lighting contributed to the mood of the play. Look for details
on the set that could symbolize the action of the play. Look for uses of color or other choices that
contributed to the mood of the production.

4. Write a concluding paragraph that weighs the pros and cons of the production.

Remember: Think carefully about your reactions and responses so you can write very clearly. You should
take notes during the performance only if you feel you will be unable to remember specific details of the
production. Your effectiveness as a reviewer is determined by how well you use specific details to support
your reactions.
 Personal Essay: Creative Nonfiction
Cabaret ends with Cliff writing about his experiences with Sally
as he leaves on the train. The viewer is led to believe that he is going to
base his novel on real events that happened to him over the course of
the story. Many writers take what has happened to them in their lives and
turn it into novels or essays in an art called the personal essay, or creative
nonfiction.
Creative nonfiction (also known as literary or narrative nonfiction)
is a genre of writing which uses literary styles and techniques to create
factually accurate narratives. Creative nonfiction contrasts with other
nonfiction, such as technical writing or journalism, which is also rooted
in accurate fact, but is not primarily written in service to its craft. As a
genre, creative nonfiction is still relatively young, and is only beginning to
be scrutinized with the same critical analysis given to fiction and poetry.
For a text to be considered creative nonfiction, it must be factually
accurate, and written with attention to literary style and technique. “Ulti-
mately, the primary goal of the creative nonfiction writer is to communi-
cate information, just like a reporter, but to shape it in a way that reads
like fiction.” Forms within this genre include personal essays, memoir,
travel writing, food writing, biography, literary journalism, and other
hybridized essays. Critic Chris Anderson claims that the genre can be understood best by splitting it into two
subcategories: the personal essay and the journalistic essay, but the genre is currently defined by its lack of
established conventions.
Literary critic Barbara Lounsberry in her book The Art of Fact suggests four constitutive characteris-
tics of the genre, the first of which is “Documentable subject matter chosen from the real world as opposed
to ‘invented’ from the writer’s mind.” By this, she means that the topics and events discussed in the text
verifiably exist in the natural world. The second characteristic is “Exhaustive research,” which she claims al-
lows the writer “novel perspectives on their subjects” and “it also permits them to establish the credibility of
their narratives through verifiable references in their texts.” The third characteristic that Lounsberry claims
is crucial in defining the genre is “The scene”. She stresses the importance of describing and revivifying the
context of events in contrast to the typical journalistic style of objective reportage. The fourth and final fea-
ture she suggests is “Fine writing: a literary prose style”. “Verifiable subject matter and exhaustive research
guarantee the nonfiction side of literary nonfiction; the narrative form and structure disclose the writer’s
artistry; and finally, its polished language reveals that the goal all along has been literature.”
Creative nonfiction may be structured like traditional fiction narratives, as is true of Fenton Johnson’s
story of love and loss, “Geography of the Heart,” and Virginia Holman’s “Rescuing Patty Hearst.” When
book-length works of creative nonfiction follow a story-like arc, they are sometimes called narrative nonfic-
tion. Creative nonfiction often escapes traditional boundaries of narrative altogether, as happens in the bit-
tersweet banter of Natalia Ginzburg’s essay, “He and I,” and in John McPhee’s hypnotic tour of Atlantic City,
“In Search of Marvin Gardens.”
Have you ever read anything that could be considered creative nonfiction? Remember, memoirs can
be considered creative nonfiction if they are written in a particular style. Go to your local library and check
out a collection of personal essays and see if you’ve ever read anything like them. Start with David Sedaris’s
When You Are Engulfed in Flames or Me Talk Pretty One Day if your library does not have a large selection.
 Review Activities
Discuss: Have you seen movies or plays that
have been based on books? Did you like one
version of the story more than the other? Why?

Write: Try writing the next chapter in the Cabaret

story. What happens to the characters once the
war starts? Will any of the characters live a happy
life afterwards? Do you think they will stay in
Germany? Compare your predictions with those
of your classmates.

Explore: Choose a favorite book and create

your own stage adaptation of one section or
chapter. Remember, you aren’t limited to only
the dialogue that exists in the book; feel free to
imagine what other things the characters might
say, or what other things they might see or do.
You may also combine events, or move them to a
different time or place.
Then produce your own reading of your
play: make as many copies as there are parts,
and distribute them to classmates you’ve cast
in the roles. Have your cast sit in chairs set in a
semicircle, and read the parts out loud. Listen to
see if any ideas occur to you for rewrites or changes.

Poetry Analysis: Songs as Poems set to Music

Songs are rarely composed with the lyrics as complete sentences. Most lyrics contain plrases which
explain the characters’ state of mind and how it got to be that way, thus helping the audience to better
understand why the character is acting the way that they are. The lyrics to many songs also have figurative
language elements in them, and they contain stanzas and rhyme schemes, just like many poems.
Take some of your favorite songs, either from the musical or off the radio, and compare the lyrics to
poems by Emily Dickinson, William Shakespeare, Alexander Pope, Maya Angelou, Robert Frost, or any of
your favorite poets.
 A Lesson in Psychology:
Propaganda and Social Obedience
Propaganda is a concerted set of messages aimed at influencing the opinions or behaviors of large numbers
of people. As opposed to impartially giving information, propaganda in its most basic sense presents
information in order to influence its audience. Propaganda often presents facts selectively (thus lying by
omission) to encourage a particular outcome, or gives loaded messages in order to produce an emotional
rather than rational response to the information presented. The desired result is a change of the cognitive
narrative of the subject in the target audience to further a political agenda. Propaganda was used throughout
WWII, by both sides, to convince the citizens of their country that what the government was doing was
correct. Study the following examples of types of propaganda. Have you seen any used in advertising or on
posters?

Ad nauseam: This argument approach uses tireless repetition of an

idea. An idea, especially a simple slogan, that is repeated enough
times, may begin to be taken as the truth. This approach works best
when media sources are limited and controlled by the propagator.

Appeal to authority: This cites prominent figures to support a position,

idea, argument, or course of action.

Appeal to fear: seeks to build support by instilling anxieties and panic

in the general population, for example, Joseph Goebbels exploited
Theodore Kaufman’s Germany Must Perish! to claim that the Allies
sought the extermination of the German people.

Appeal to prejudice: Using loaded or emotive terms to attach value

or moral goodness
to believing the
proposition. For
example, the phrase:
“Any hard-working taxpayer would have to agree that those
who do not work, and who do not support the community
do not deserve the community’s support through social
assistance.”

Bandwagon and “inevitable-victory” appeals attempt to

persuade the target audience to join in and take the course of
action that “everyone else is taking.”

Inevitable victory: invites those not already on the bandwagon

to join those already on the road to certain victory. Those
already or at least partially on the bandwagon are reassured
that staying aboard is their best course of action.
Common man: the “’plain folks’” or “common man” approach attempts to convince the
audience that the propagandist’s positions reflect the common sense of the people. It is
designed to win the confidence of the audience by communicating in the common manner and
style of the target audience. Propagandists use ordinary language
and mannerisms (and clothe their message in face-to-face and
audiovisual communications) in attempting to identify their point
of view with that of the average person. For example, a propaganda
leaflet may make an argument on a macroeconomic issue, such as
unemployment insurance benefits, using everyday terms: “given that
the country has little money during this recession, we should stop
paying unemployment benefits to those who do not work, because
that is like maxing out all your credit cards during a tight period, when
you should be tightening your belt.”

Demonizing the enemy: making individuals from the opposing nation,

from a different ethnic group, or those who support the opposing
viewpoint appear to be subhuman (e.g., the Vietnam War-era term
“gooks” for National Front for the Liberation of South Vietnam
aka Vietcong, (or ‘VC’) soldiers), worthless, or immoral, through
suggestion or false accusations.

Glittering generalities: these are emotionally appealing words applied to a product or idea, but which
present no concrete argument or analysis. A famous example is the campaign slogan “Ford has a better
idea!”

Half-truth: a half-truth is a deceptive statement which may come in several forms and includes some
element of truth. The statement might be partly true, the statement may be totally true but only part of the
whole truth, or it may utilize some deceptive element, such as improper punctuation, or double meaning,
especially if the intent is to deceive, evade blame or misrepresent the truth.
Intentional vagueness

Generalities: deliberately vague statements presented so that the audience may supply its own
interpretations. The intention is to move the audience by use of undefined phrases, without analyzing their
validity or attempting to determine their reasonableness or application. The intent is to cause people to
draw their own interpretations rather than simply being presented with an explicit idea. In trying to “figure
out” the propaganda, the audience forgoes judgment of the ideas presented. Their validity, reasonableness
and application may still be considered.

Join the crowd: This technique reinforces people’s natural desire to be on the winning side. This technique
is used to convince the audience that a program is an expression of an irresistible mass movement and
that it is in their best interest to join.

Black-and-White fallacy: presenting only two choices, with the product or idea being propagated as the
better choice. (e.g., “You are either with us, or you are with the enemy”)

These are just a few of the many techniques that advertisers, politicians, the news media and corporations
use to influence the opinions, emotions and behavior of their audiences. How can you spot propaganda
and protect yourself from being fooled? The most basic part of critical thinking is asking questions: Where
is this information coming from? Who gains by it? What evidence is there to support this? Is this appealing
to my emotions, or to my reason? It’s easy to be an uncritical, unthinking audience for everything you see
or hear; it’s more difficult to be a critical thinker, to challenge and investigate, to decide for yourself.
 The Perils of Obedience
Stanley Milgram

When an authority figure asks you to do something, do you usually

do it? What if they ask you to do something you don’t want to? The Milgram
experiment was a seminal series of social psychology experiments conducted
by Yale University psychologist Stanley Milgram, which measured the willingness
of study participants to obey an authority figure who instructed them to perform
acts that conflicted with their personal conscience. Milgram first described his
research in 1963 in an article published in the Journal of Abnormal and Social
Psychology, and later discussed his findings in his 1974 book, Obedience to
Authority: An Experimental View.
The experiments began in July 1961, three months after the start of the
trial of Nazi war criminal Adolf Eichmann in Jerusalem. Milgram devised the
experiments to answer this question: “Could it be that Eichmann and his million
accomplices in the Holocaust were just following orders? Could we call them all
accomplices?”
Milgram summarized the experiment in his 1974 article, “The Perils of Obedience”, writing:
The legal and philosophic aspects of obedience are of enormous importance, but they say very
little about how most people behave in concrete situations. I set up a simple experiment at Yale
University to test how much pain an ordinary citizen would inflict on another person simply
because he was ordered to by an experimental scientist. Stark authority was pitted against the
subjects’ [participants’] strongest moral imperatives against hurting others, and, with the subjects’
[participants’] ears ringing with the screams of the victims, authority won more often than not.
The extreme willingness of adults to go to almost any lengths on the command of an authority
constitutes the chief finding of the study and the fact most urgently demanding explanation.
Ordinary people, simply doing their jobs, and without any particular hostility on their part, can become
agents in a terrible destructive process. Moreover, even when the destructive effects of their work become
patently clear, and they are asked to carry out actions incompatible with fundamental standards of morality,
relatively few people have the resources needed to resist authority.
Three people take part in the experiment: “experimentor,” “learner” (victim) and “teacher” (participant).
Only the “teacher” is an actual participant, i.e. unaware about the actual setup, while the “learner” is a
confederate of the experimenter. The role of the experimenter was played by a stern, impassive biology teacher
dressed in a white technician’s coat, and the victim (learner) was played by a 47 year old Irish-American
accountant trained to act for the role. The participant and the learner were told by the experimenter that they
would be participating in an experiment helping his study of memory and learning in different situations.
Two slips of paper were then presented to the participant and to the “learner.” The participant was led
to believe that one of the slips said “learner” and the other said “teacher,” and that he and the actor had been
given the slips randomly. In fact, both slips said “teacher,” but the actor claimed to have the slip that read
“learner,” thus guaranteeing that the participant would always be the “teacher.” At this point, the “teacher” and
“learner” were separated into different rooms where they could communicate but not see each other. In one
version of the experiment, the confederate was sure to mention to the participant that he had a heart condition.
The “teacher” was given a 45-volt electric shock from the electro-shock generator as a sample of the
shock that the “learner” would supposedly receive during the experiment. The “teacher” was then given a list of
word pairs which he was to teach the learner. The teacher began by reading the list of word pairs to the learner.
The teacher would then read the first word of each pair and read four possible answers. The learner would
press a button to indicate his response. If the answer was incorrect, the teacher would administer a shock to the
learner, with the voltage increasing for each wrong answer. If correct, the teacher would read the next word pair.
 The subjects believed that for each wrong answer, the learner was receiving actual shocks.
In reality, there were no shocks. After the confederate was separated from the subject, the
confederate set up a tape recorder integrated with the electro-shock generator, which played pre-
recorded sounds for each shock level. After a number of voltage level increases, the actor started
to bang on the wall that separated him from the subject. After several times banging on the wall and
complaining about his heart condition, all responses by the learner would cease.
At this point, many people indicated their desire to stop the experiment and check on the learner.
Some test subjects paused at 135 volts and began to question the purpose of the experiment. Most
continued after being assured that they would not be held responsible. A few subjects began to laugh
nervously or exhibit other signs of extreme stress
once they heard the screams of pain coming from the
learner.
If at any time the subject indicated his desire
to halt the experiment, he was given a succession of
verbal prods by the experimenter, in this order:
1. Please continue.
2. The experiment requires that you continue.
3. It is absolutely essential that you continue.
4. You have no other choice, you must go on.
If the subject still wished to stop after all four
successive verbal prods, the experiment was halted.
Otherwise, it was halted after the subject had given the
maximum 450-volt shock three times in succession.
This experiment could be seen to raise some ethical
issues as Stanley Milgram deceived his study’s photo from experiment
subjects, and put them under more pressure than many believe was necessary.
Before conducting the experiment, Milgram polled fourteen Yale
University senior-year psychology majors as to what they thought would be the results. All of the poll
respondents believed that only a few (average 1.2%) would be prepared to inflict the maximum voltage.
Milgram also informally polled his colleagues and found that they, too, believed very few subjects would
progress beyond a very strong shock.
In Milgram’s first set of experiments, 65 percent
(26 of 40) of experiment participants administered the
experiment’s final 450-volt shock, though many were very
uncomfortable doing so; at some point, every participant
paused and questioned the experiment, some said they
would refund the money they were paid for participating
in the experiment. No participant steadfastly refused to
administer shocks before the 300-volt level.
Later, Professor Milgram and other psychologists
performed variations of the experiment throughout
the world, with similar results although unlike the Yale
experiment, resistance to the experimenter was reported
anecdotally elsewhere. Moreover, Milgram later investigated
the effect of the experiment’s locale on obedience levels,
(e.g. one experiment was held in a respectable university,
the other in an unregistered, backstreet office in a bustling
city; the greater the locale’s respectability, the greater the
obedience rate). Apart from confirming the original results,
set-up of experimenter (E), subject (S), and the variations have tested variables in the experimental set-
confederate (A) up.
 The experiments provoked emotional criticism about the experiment’s implications. In the
journal Jewish Currents, Joseph Dimow, a participant in the 1961 experiment at Yale University,
wrote about his early withdrawal as a “teacher,” suspicious “that the whole experiment was
designed to see if ordinary Americans would obey immoral orders, as many Germans had done
during the Nazi period.” Indeed, that was one of the explicitly-stated goals of the experiments.
Quoting from the preface of Milgram’s book, Obedience to Authority: “The question arises as to
whether there is any connection between what we have studied in the laboratory and the forms of obedience
we so deplored in the Nazi epoch.”
Professor Milgram elaborated two theories explaining his results: The first is the theory of
conformism, based on Solomon Asch’s work, describing the fundamental relationship between the group
of reference and the individual person. A subject who has neither ability nor expertise to make decisions,
especially in a crisis, will leave decision making to the group and its hierarchy. The group is the person’s
behavioral model. The second is the agentic state theory, wherein, per Milgram, the essence of obedience
consists in the fact that a person comes to view himself as the instrument for carrying out another person’s
wishes, and he therefore no longer sees himself as responsible for his actions. Once this critical shift of
viewpoint has occurred in the person, all of the essential features of obedience follow.

Review Activities
Write
In a difficult situation, who do you turn to for help? Do you turn to different people depending on the
circumstances of the problem (e.g. family member, friends, teacher, religious leader, etc.)? Do a free writing
for ten minutes beginning with the sentence: When I need help, I go to my _____________. Explain how this
person acts as your support and what you do to convince them to help you. Evaluate the effectiveness of
your approach to seek help and their method of dealing with crises.

Critical Thinking
Associations with people who are unpopular or unconventional can prove problematic for us all. Sometimes
we need to encourage others to look beneath the surface of their first reactions to learn to accept unusual
behaviors or looks. First impressions are always impulsive. A second impression can be more reasoned.
Have the class do an exercise where each student brings an unusual or outrageous article of clothing to
class. Working with a partner, first describe your reaction to your partner’s clothing and how it makes you
feel about him or her. Next have your partner describe the reasons why she or he chose this piece and
see if the reasons make you see her or him differently. Then switch the discussion to the other partner.
Discuss these reactions with the entire class. (You may also brainstorm examples of outrageous people or
characters.)

Research
Bring in an example of propaganda from the media. Try to find at least two and possibly more examples to
illustrate to the class. Come up with ways that you intend to combat the effect of these forms of propaganda
for yourself and for others. Answer the following questions: Where is this information coming from? Who
gains by it? What evidence supports it? Does it appeal to emotion or reason? Rate the validity of your
example or media event on a scale of 1-10 for credibility. Discuss ways that you can get your evaluation
heard and seen by others.
 A Lesson in the Arts:
The Evolution of Cabaret-Style Entertainment
Cabaret is a form of entertainment featuring comedy, song, dance, and theatre, distinguished mainly
by the performance venue — a restaurant or nightclub with a stage for performances and the audience
sitting at tables (often dining or drinking) watching the performance. The venue itself can also be called a
“cabaret.” The turn of the 20th century introduced a revolutionized cabaret culture. Performers included
Josephine Baker and Brazilian drag performer João Francisco dos Santos (aka Madame Satã). Cabaret
performances could range from political satire to light entertainment, each being introduced by a master of
ceremonies, or MC.
The term is a French word for the taprooms or cafés where this form of entertainment was born,
as a more artistic type of café-chantant. It is derived from Middle Dutch cabret, through Old North French
camberette, from Late Latin camera. It essentially means “small room.”

French cabarets
There is evidence of cabarets as early as February 1789 in the Cahier de Dolences. The first cabaret
was opened in 1881 in Montmartre, Paris: Rodolphe Salís’ “cabaret artistique.” Shortly after it was founded,
it was renamed Le Chat Noir (The Black Cat). It became a locale in which up-and-coming cabaret artists
could try their new acts in front of their peers before they
were acted in front of an audience. The place was a great
success, visited by important people of that time such as
Alphonse Allais, Jean Richepin, Aristide Bruant, and people
from all walks of life: women of high society, tourists,
bankers, doctors, journalists, etc. The Chat Noir was a place
where they could get away from work. In 1887, the cabaret
was closed due to the bad economic situation that made
amusements of this kind seem vulgar.
The Moulin Rouge, built in 1889 in the red-light
district of Pigalle near Montmartre, is famous for the large
red imitation windmill on its roof. Notable performers at the
Moulin Rouge included La Goulue, Yvette Guilbert, Jane
Avril, Mistinguett, and Le Pétomane. Henri de Toulouse-
Lautrec painted numerous pictures of night life there.
The Folies-Bergère continued to attract a large
number of people until the start of the 20th century, even
though it was more expensive than other cabarets. People
felt comfortable at the cabaret: they did not have to take
off their hat, could talk, eat, and smoke when they wanted
to, etc. They also didn’t have to stick to the usual rules of
society.
At the Folies-Bergère, as in many cafés-concerts,
there were a variety of acts: singers, dancers, jugglers, clowns, and sensations such as the Birmane family,
all of whom had beards. Audiences were attracted by the danger of the circus acts (sometimes tamers were
killed by their lions), but what happened on stage was not the only entertainment. Often patrons watched
others, strolled around, and met friends or prostitutes. At the start of the 20th century, as war approached,
prices rose further and the cabaret became a place for the rich. Le Lido, on the Champs-Elysées has been a
venue of the finest shows with the most famous names since 1946.
 German cabarets
Twenty years later, Ernst von Wolzogen founded
the first German cabaret, later known as Buntes Theater
(colourful theatre). All forms of public criticism were banned by a
censor on theatres in the German Empire, however. This was lifted
at the end of the First World War, allowing the cabaret artists to
deal with social themes and political developments of the time. This
meant that German cabaret really began to blossom in the 1920s
and 1930s, bringing forth all kinds of new cabaret artists, such as
Werner Finck at the Katakombe, Karl Valentin at the Wien-München,
and Claire Waldoff. Some of their texts were written by great literary
figures such as Kurt Tucholsky, Erich Kästner, and Klaus Mann.
When the Nazi party came to power in 1933, they started to
repress this intellectual criticism of the times. Cabaret in Germany
was hit badly. In 1935, Werner Finck was briefly imprisoned and
sent to a concentration camp; at the end of that year Kurt Tucholsky
committed suicide; and nearly all German-speaking cabaret artists
fled into exile in Switzerland, France, Scandinavia, or the United
States.
What remained in Germany was a state-controlled cabaret where jokes were told or the people
were encouraged to keep their chins up. When the war ended, the occupying powers ensured that the
cabarets portrayed the horrors of the Nazi regime. Soon,
various cabarets were also dealing with the government,
the Cold War and the Wirtschaftswunder: the Tollleranten in
Mainz, the Kommödchen in Düsseldorf and the Münchner
Lach- und Schießgesellschaft in Munich. These were
followed in the 1950s by television cabaret.
In 1953, the first state cabaret was opened: Berlin’s
Die Distel. It was censored and did not criticise the state
(1954: Die Pfeffermühle in Leipzig). In the 1960s, West
German cabaret was centred around Düsseldorf, Munich,
and Berlin. At the end of the decade, the students’
movement of May 1968 split opinion on the genre as some
old cabaret artists were booed off the stage for being part of
the old establishment. In the 1970s, new forms of cabaret
developed, such as the television show Notizen aus der
Provinz (Notes from the Sticks). At the end of the 1980s,
political cabaret was an important part of social criticism,
with a minor boom at the time of German reunification.
In eastern Germany, cabarets had been growing more
and more daring in their criticism of politicians in the
time leading up to 1989. After reunification, new social
problems, such as mass unemployment, the privatisation
of companies, and rapid changes in society, meant that
cabarets rose in number. Dresden, for example, gained two new cabarets alongside the popular
Herkuleskeule.
In the 1990s and at the start of the new millennium, the television and film comedy boom and a
lessening of public interest in politics meant that television cabaret audiences in Germany dropped.
 American cabarets
In the United States, cabaret
diverged into several different and
distinct styles of performance mostly due
to the influence of Jazz Music. Chicago
cabaret focused intensely on the larger
band ensembles and reached its zenith
in the speakeasies, and steakhouses (like
The Palm) of the Prohibition Era.

New York cabaret never developed along the

darkly political lines of its European counterparts, but
did feature a great deal of social commentary. When
New York cabarets featured jazz, they tended to focus
on famous vocalists like Eartha Kitt and Hildegarde
rather than instrumental musicians.

Cabaret in the United States began to disappear in the

sixties, due to the rising popularity of rock concert shows and
television variety shows. The art form itself still survives vestigially in
two popular entertainment formats: Stand-up comedy and the dark
comic performances that may still be seen in the drag show and
camp performances in the nation’s GLBT community.
 A Lesson in Culture:
The Multilingual Nature of Europe
Cabaret opens with the emcee welcoming the audience to the Kit-Kat Club in three different
languages: German, French, and English. Most Eurpoeans speak multiple languages because their
countries are so close to each other. The majority of Europeans cannot drive for more than a few
hours without leaving their country and entering another, which likely has another offical language
than their native tongue.
Do you know anyone who speaks a language other than English? Impress your friends
and family with your knowledge of some basic phrases in English, French, Spanish, German, and
Norwegian.

English
1. Hello!
2. How are you?
3. What is your name?
4. My name is _________.
5. How old are you?
6. Happy birthday!
7. Please
8. Thank you!
9. What time is it?
10. Goodbye!

German
1. Guten tag
2. Wie machen Sie?
3. Was ist Ihr Name?
4. Mein Name ist ______.
5. Wie alt sind Sie?
6. Glücklicher Geburtstag
7. Bitte
8. Danke
9. Wie viel Uhr ist es?
10. Auf Wiedersehen
 Spanish
1. Hola!
2. Cómo estas?
3. Que es su nombre?
4. Se llama _________.
5. Cuántos años tienes?
6. Cumpleaños felices!
7. Por favor
8. Gracias!
9. Qué hora es?
10. Adiós!

Norwegian
1. Hei!
2. Hvordan er du?
3. Hva er din navn?
4. Mitt navn er ______.
5. Hvordan gammel er deg?
6. Glad fødselsdag!
7. Behag
8. Takk deg!
9. Hvilken tiden er det?
10. Farvel!

French
1. Bonjour!
2. Comment es-tu?
3. Comment t’appelles?
4. Je m’appelle _________.
5. Quel age vous sont?
6. Joyeux anniversaire!
7. S’il vous plait
8. Merci!
9. Quelle heure est-il?
10. Adieu!
 40
Your Feedback
Now that you have experienced Cabaret and, as part of that, used this study guide, you are in a position to tell
us what we would love to know:

I. Did using this study guide add to your theater experience?

___ Yes ___ Some ___ No

2. How much of the study guide did you read?

___ Didn’t have time ___ About half ___ All

3. What do you think of what you read? Mark as many as apply.

___ Useful ___ Enjoyable ___ Nothing new ___ Not for my students

4. Did you utilize the study guide to prepare your students to see the play?

___ Yes ___ Not really ___ No, I got it too late (when?)_______________________

5. What sections of the study guide did you find most useful?
_____________________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________

6. Is there something we did NOT provide that you wish we had?

_____________________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________
7. Did you spend more time working with the material BEFORE or AFTER you saw the play?

___ Before ___ After ___ About the Same

8. Which of the following best describes you?

teacher __________ parent ________ other _____________________
My student(s) is/are: ___ preschool ___ primary grades ___ middle school
___ high school ___ home school ___ Other ____________

Please send the above information to our Marketing department at: [email protected], fax (713)558-2650 or
mail to:
Marketing Department
TUTS
800 Bagby, Suite 200
Houston, Texas 77002-2532