Sam Gilbert
[follow id = “samgilbert279”]
Cal Poly’s Theatre and Dance Department presents a collaboration of the arts with “Black Cat Cabaret” in Spanos Theatre on May 8-10 and May 15-17 at 8 p.m.
“It’s set up as one night in a club, and there are a bunch of acts where the characters in it are performers in that club,” dancer and recreation, parks and tourism administration senior Taylor Santero said.
As a dancer in the show, Santero followed the lead of dance assistant professor Christy McNeil, who took on complete responsibility of choreography.
“She’s very jazzy, so most of the numbers are very jazz-based, with a lot of turns and kicks,” Santero said.
Santero said the show involves dance, but is mostly theatre with the incorporation of unique talents.
“There are people singing, someone reading poetry, someone playing the role of an artist — a lot of different things,” Santero said. “I do a lot with the dance department as a dance minor, so it’s been cool to reach out with the theatre department.”
Theatre junior and stage manager Melissa Frye described the cabaret as a variety show.
“It depicts what it was like in France in the late 1800s, early 1900s,” Frye said. “It’s a compilation of song, dance and a few other fun things like juggling, an acoustic guitar playing, tap dancing and contemporary dance.”
Frye said her favorite aspect of the show is the compilation of different acts it includes.
“The script was kind of roughly written at the beginning of the quarter and has been collaborated on throughout,” Frye said.
That collaboration is what sets this show apart from others of its kind.
“We didn’t come in with a set script,” Frye said. “A lot of actors in the show are used to coming in with a set script where they can read off during character development and analysis, so it’s been more of a free process in that they could discover their character along the way.”
Tickets for the event are available at the Christopher Cohan Performing Arts Center Ticket Office.