Atlanta theater company Actor’s Express continues its 36th season with the Tony award-winning musical “Cabaret,” a story set in 1930s Berlin amid the post-World War I economic depression, the rise of the Nazi party and the start of Hitler’s brutal regime.
Given today’s political climate, the story still resonates with current audiences — and that was not lost on the production team.
According to Actor’s Express Artistic Director Freddie Ashley, “Cabaret” has been politically relevant since the show’s opening.
“If you go back through time since the show opened in the 60s on Broadway, you’ll see people describing it as relevant,” Ashley said.
Ashley joined Lois Reitzes of “City Lights” to discuss the upcoming performance and its defining themes.
The Actor’s Express production team spent a lot of time considering how audiences will engage and react to their version of “Cabaret.” A majority of the play takes place in the Kit Kat Klub, a Berlin hot spot in the 20s and 30s where many Germans found respite during the chaos leading up to World War II. The Actor’s Express space was transformed into the club itself so that audiences get to feel the environment and setting of the play when they walk inside.
With regard to the modern relevance of the play, Ashley referred Lois to a recent episode of NPR’s Hidden Brain, explaining a process that can happen in the human brain called habituation.
According to Ashley, habituation is the process during which the brain adapts to new stimuli or situations, even if they have negative effects.
“You get to a certain point and say, ‘Oh my God, how did we get here?’” Ashley said. “I think that this play in particular serves as a cautionary tale to combat that particular wiring in the brain and to pay attention to what’s going on around you. When you see the signs, disrupt them as early as you can.”
“Cabaret” is on stage through Sept. 1 at Actor’s Express.
