Heidelberg University
School of Music and Theater Productions
Cabaret
A Note From the Director
Set in Berlin in 1931, English singer Sally Bowles joins the cast of the Kit Kat Klub, a seedy nightclub full of decadence and sexual celebration. The Kit Kat Klub’s Master of Ceremonies, or the M.C. (Emcee), teams up with the cabaret girls and waiters for a night of racy, flirtatious numbers that you cannot forget. An American author, Cliff Bradshaw, has traveled to Berlin to work on his novel and finds a job and home at a boarding house run by Fräulein Schneider. Cliff ends up visiting the Kit Kat Klub and falls for Sally, who’s jealous boyfriend Max runs the club.
Over the course of the show, we watch this cast of characters fall in and out love, troubled by the beginning of World War II on the horizon. The Emcee encourages the audience to be more open-minded with his use of humor and blunt honesty. He shocks the audience and makes us consider how easily and unthinkingly we often accept prejudice.
This show mirrors the experience of visiting the Holocaust Museum in Berlin. You begin to see signs of things changing and being strange, and suddenly, you find yourself lost in a maze of pain and destruction. The characters in this show go through this same change, losing friends and feeling lost as the world around them turns to silence. We can see the connections between the setting of this production and the current climate in America. It serves as a reminder and warning of what can happen when we let prejudice rule our society.
The growing support of the Heidelberg Theatre department has not gone unnoticed. Our students are endlessly appreciative of all the kindness, generosity, and encouragement received from our supporters. We hope to continue building relationships through the arts within the Tiffin community and Heidelberg campus. We hope that this show will bring joy and a thrill as we beginning this season’s exploration of sex, love, and monsters.
As always, thank you, and we hope you enjoy the show,
Stephen Svoboda and Lo Erin Jackson
Bella Ballard is excited to be making her debut on the Gundlach stage as a Kit Kat Girl named Helga. Offstage she is double majoring in Business Management and Musical Theatre, and minoring in Music while on a Pre-law track. Some of her favorite previous roles are Wednesday Addams in The Addams Family and Cinderella in Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Cinderella. At Heidelberg Bella is on the speech team, the vocalist for jazz band, and a soprano in the concert choir. She would like to thank her grandparents for their constant love and support.
Nick Bishop is a first-year student at Heidelberg. He is a theatre production major. Nick is from Stow, Ohio, a small town outside Akron. He went to Stow Munroe-Falls high school and completed the theatre arts career academy at Tallmadge High School, and received the Keith Bee golden hammer award. Nick was also a 6-year member of the E.T.C. All Americans. Nick has been in shows such as Legally Blonde the Musical, The Trials of Robin Hood, and Almost, Maine. Nick is very excited to be here at Heidelberg University.
Kaylea Bowers is a graduate student in the MBA program at Heidelberg. She was in several Gundlach Theatre productions during her undergraduate studies, a few of her favorite roles being Olive Ostrovsky in The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee and Sophie Sheridan in Mamma Mia!. She is thankful for the opportunity to perform during her final year at Heidelberg and wants to thank everyone for their continuous love and support of the Arts!
Lizzie Bowman is a second year student at Heidelberg University, majoring in Musical Theatre and History with a minor in Literature. Cabaret is her third show being on stage with Heidelberg. In the past she has been in A Gap in Generations (Vittoria), Spamalot (Patsy), The Little Mermaid (Ariel) and The Music Man (Mrs. Squires), Mamma Mia! (Chorus). Lizzie has also been a production member for The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime and The Penguin Tango.
Emma Breyley is a senior music industry major from New Washington, Ohio. Although heavily involved in other musical opportunities on campus like Concert Choir, she has always loved performing in the theater since she was young. Now, she is lucky enough to have the opportunity to be a part of the cast of Cabaret! Other credits include Lindsey, soloist in Godspell and Melissa Frake in State Fair. She wants to extend thanks to her family, friends, and faculty that have helped and supported her throughout her journey to the stage.
Maia Brower is a senior music education major from Oak Harbor, Ohio. In the past, she has been in productions on stage and in the pit, but this is her first show here at Heidelberg (other than playing tambourine for Mamma Mia!). After graduation, Maia plans on moving to Columbus and teaching high school band in the city school system.
Austin Buckhalter is a Senior at Heidelberg University. Originally from Chicago, Illinois, Austin has appeared in numerous theatre productions including The Laramie Project, The Diary of Anne Frank, Little Women, Sister Act, Macbeth, The Music Man, The Penguin Tango and The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime. Austin plans to pursue musical direction and performance in the professional world, which allows him to combine his love for theatre and the piano.
Gavin Buurma is a sophomore business administration and musical theatre double major from Willard, Ohio. He has performed in various productions at Heidelberg including Mamma Mia!, The Music Man, The Penguin Tango, and Shakespeare's Macbeth. Gavin is a second-year member of the Concert Choir and a Student Ambassador. He would like to thank his friends and family, especially his mom, for all of their support. The cast and crew have worked incredibly hard and he is very excited for everyone to see the show!
Bri Clark is a freshman musical theater major. She is also apart of the Heidelberg women's tennis team and the Hei-Notes. As well as acting and singing, Bri is part of the production team. Bri has been performing all her life and is ecstatic to continue her journey on the Heidelberg stage.
Ashley C. Dawson is a senior Musical Theatre major and is absolutely ecstatic to join the cast of Cabaret! After transferring from Baltimore, MD, Ashley made her debut on Gundlach’s stage last fall as Mrs. Paroo in The Music Man. More recently, she was seen in the ensemble of Mamma Mia! and as a soloist in The Jeff Blumenkrantz Songbook Festival. Other notable credits include Bird Woman (Disney’s Mary Poppins), Connie Boylan (Annie), and Wicked Witch/Blind Mouse (Shrek: The Musical). Special thanks to all of the people who have made this journey possible: family, friends, faculty, and mentors.
Riley Gibson is a sophomore at Heidelberg University majoring in musical theatre. She has participated in seven musicals throughout her middle school, high school, and college career. At Heidelberg, she has been in The Music Man, Macbeth and Mamma Mia. She has also been in Titanic at The Ritz Theatre. She would like to thank her family for always supporting her when it comes to theatre. She would also like to thank the directors as well as the cast for all of the countless hours they have devoted to making this show amazing.
Caira Goldstein is a Junior at Heidelberg University. She is double majoring in Early Childhood Education and Musical Theatre. She was previously in Macbeth, The Music Man, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime, Mamma Mia!, Sister Act, and A Grand Night for Singing. She also performed in the masterclasses of Tom Cippulo and Jeff Blumenkrantz here at Heidelberg. Caira thanks you for supporting our program and hopes you enjoy the show!
Paige Hood is currently a Sophomore at Heidelberg University where she is studying pre-med and musical theater. Cabaret will be Paige’s 5th performance for HU Theatre. Paige studied voice and theatre at the Beck Center of the Arts for 10 years. Paige’s past performances include Cinderella (Cinderella), Pippin (Fastrada), Mary Poppin (Winifred Banks), The Music Man, Macbeth, Mamma Mia!, and The Penguin Tango (Gomez). Paige is also a National Anthem performer and has performed at Progressive Field, Lake Erie Crushers Stadium, 4th of July Avon Lake Celebration and the Ohio Fallen Police/Firefighters Memorial. At Avon Lake HS, Paige was lead vocalist for The Frats rock band, finalists in the 2017 Cleveland Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Rock Off. In her spare time, Paige plays midfield for the Heidelberg University Women’s Soccer team. Paige is thrilled to be performing in Cabaret and would like to thank her family and friends for all their love and support.
Marques Johnson is a music major who also runs track. He makes a hobby out of just about anything he can figure out. Marques wants to thank his parents and friends for supporting him along his college journey.
Kamryn Mohney is an accounting and musical theater double major. Cabaret will be her very first production at Heidelberg University. Kamryn is apart of Hei-Notes and the Concert Choir here on campus. She has been involved with theatre since the seventh grade and is delighted to continue her journey as she attends Heidelberg. Kamryn would not be here without her loving family and is grateful every single day to have them by her side. Kamryn would like to thank the entire Heidelberg Theater Department for making her first collegiate theater experience so enjoyable, and she is excited to see what her future holds here at Heidelberg.
James Ogle is a junior musical theatre major from Henagar, AL. James has been performing since the age of ten. This will be James' second year here at Heidelberg University. You may have seen him in The Music Man as ensemble and in The Curious Incident Of The Dog In The Nighttime as Christopher Boone here at Heidelberg. James would like to thank his family and friends back home for all the support and love.
Ben Pollizi is a freshman Musical Theatre major, and he is very excited to be making his Heidelberg theatre debut in Cabaret. Ben is also involved in Hei-Notes and Concert Choir on campus. Ben would like to thank Stephen, David, and the cast and crew of Cabaret for making his first show on campus a fabulous experience. He looks forward to working on more shows in the future here at Heidelberg, and hopes you enjoy the show!
Solana Petrone is so excited to be making her Heidelberg theatre debut! She attended Lakewood High School where she performed as Abigail Adams (1776), Josephine March (Little Women), Rosie (Mamma Mia!), and many more! She would like to thank her family for helping her get this far in her theatrical career and all of the wonderful new friends she has made thanks to the Heidelberg Music and Theatre department.
Jasmine Ridler is a sophomore History and Theatre major at Heidelberg University. She is proud to return to the stage after performing as a Pick-A-Little Lady in Heidelberg’s Production of The Music Man and as a Greek Chorus Yaya in Mamma Mia!. She has been noted for her work with Heidelberg’s show choir, The Hei-Notes, as a featured vocalist. As well as her Props Master work with The Penguin Tango, which recently performed at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. Some of her other previous work has been playing the role of Mrs. Baskin in Big The Musical with the Beck Center for the Arts, as well as a multitude of Operetta performances with the Interlochen Arts Academy and Camp. Jasmine is looking forward to continuing her work with Heidelberg’s theatre company as Props Master of Oedipus and Lysistrata.
Elias Rousculp is a sophomore theatre student at Heidelberg University. A former performer in the Columbus area, Elias decided to return to school at 24; A decision he has never regretted, thanks to the acceptance and support of his amazingly talented peers here at HU. This year, in addition to his on stage duties, he has taken over as foreman of the scene shop. In his rare moments outside the walls of Gundlach Theatre, Elias enjoys playing music and has recently started offering beginners guitar lessons at the community music school. He would like to thank his parents for their steadfast love and support.
Matthew Strouse is an 8th grader at Oak Harbor High School. He has participated in Heidelberg University Community Music School's fall production of Into the Woods as the Steward and their spring production of Mulan Jr. playing Fa Zhou, Milan's Father and Yao. Matthew also is the cantoru for Saturday mass at St. Mary's Byzantine Catholic Church. He enjoys singing, soccer and playing on Lake Erie.
William Sweeney is a senior music major at Heidelberg University. Since joining the theatre community at the ‘Berg, William has played many roles such as “Big Julie” in Guys and Dolls, various ensemble roles in Sister Act, “Narcissus” in a student-written and directed play titled with the same name, “Jacey Squires” in The Music Man, “Father Alexandros” in Mamma Mia!, “Agatha Trunchbull” in Matilda, and “Charles Clarke” in Titanic: The Musical. William would like to thank his family for their support in everything that he does! He doesn’t know where he would be without them. William hopes you enjoy the show and would like to wish all of his fellow cast members much “mazel” on their performances. Break a leg, not your heart!
Madison Swyers is a senior Theater major. She has been apart of several Heidelberg productions including They Fight, The Laramie Project, The Music Man, R and J, Macbeth, Sister Act, Mamma Mia, and The Penguin Tango. In her spare time she enjoys a cup of tea and being with friends. She is very grateful for all the opportunities Heidelberg Theatre has given her and she is so excited for future endeavors. Madison would like to thank her friends and family for their constant encouragement.
Charlotte Sypula is a Senior studying in Sports Management with a concentration in Communications. This is her second show that she will be performing with the Musical Theatre department. After being apart of the Mamma Mia! cast she knew she wanted to come back to experience more. This time she’s even more excited because she was able to take on the role of dance captain and is so thankful for the experience! Charlotte has had 14 years of competitive dance under her belt, thanks to her mothers dance studio back home in Michigan. Charlotte can’t wait to perform Cabaret on stage and wants to thank everyone in the cast and crew for always being amazing to work with. She hopes you enjoy the show!
Nick Talion is new to Heidelberg and is so excited to be in his first college production! He has had previous roles in Father of the Bride (Buzz Taylor), Play On! (Billy Carwel), Songs for a New World (Ensemble), Disaster! (Waiter), The Complete Works of William Shakespeare [abridged] (Himself), Aida (Pharaoh), Blithe Spirit (Charles Condomine), and Newsies (Pulitzer). He would like to thank his friends and family for all the support and for helping him make it this far, as well as the entire cast and the directors or making this show a memorable one!
Chad Walkins is a junior psych major at Heidelberg University. He has been in previous shows at Gundlach including Little Woman and, most recently, Mamma Mia!. He also has done shows locally at the Ritz having roles in Spamalot and Titanic. Chad is active in Heidelberg’s SMT department participating in Concert Choir, Marching Band, Hei-Notes, Chamber Singers and Heimonics. Chad would like to thank his family for their unwavering support and love.
Nathan Colin is a theatre production major at Heidelberg University. He loves theatre so much that he decided to follow his passion and learn. Along with working behind the scenes, Nathan is also a performer. He worked on the lighting team for The Music Man, Macbeth, and Mamma Mia! last year. While he mostly worked tech his freshman year, Nathan made his acting debut here during The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime. This included many memorable roles, such as Police Officer, Drunk Guy 1, and who could forget Station Officer. He is excited as he looks to his future roles in Lysistrata and Oedipus Rex coming this November. Everyone working on this production has worked really hard for weeks, and he hopes you enjoy the lights! And the show!
David Cotter previously served as the Managing Artistic Director of Town Hall Theatre, the only theatre in Dayton, Ohio, exclusively presenting work for young audiences. While at Town Hall Theatre, David oversaw the redevelopment of the education programs, developed programming for adults with special needs, and created and implemented a facilities upgrade plan for the theatre which included new lighting, sound and audience seating upgrades. David was the Director of Education at The Redhouse Arts Center in Syracuse, N.Y. where he oversaw a $3.2 million education collaboration program that focused arts integration and collaboration with student in the Syracuse City School District. In addition, he oversaw programming that included the Rock Camp experience, programming for adults with special needs and communications training for graduate and doctoral students in the medical fields. David is a certified music educator in Ohio and New York and spent time in the middle school classroom. David is a frequent presenter at conferences, which include the Southeastern Theatre Conference, American Alliance for Theatre Education, Florida Theatre Conference and Tedx. He is an avid musical theatre performer, director, and music director.
Martina Dimiduk is a second year theatre major from Dayton, OH. This will be their fourth show at Heidelberg, but their first show working with lights. You may have seen them on stage as an old woman in Mamma Mia!, and a teenage dancer in The Music Man. Martina hopes you enjoy the show and go on to tell your friends about the great things that happen here at Heidelberg University.
Anna Gerber is a sophomore theatre and english double major from Richfield, Ohio. Cabaret is the fourth show she has worked on at Heidelberg. She started at Heidelberg as assistant stage manager for The Music Man. Anna quickly became stage manager for Mamma Mia!, and The Penguin Tango at Heidelberg, and Titanic at the Ritz Theatre. She is thrilled to be doing Cabaret, and would like to thank her friends and family for all their support.
Allison Gonzales is a first-year sophomore studying environmental science and theatre with a concentration in production. Cabaret is her first show at Heidelberg. Before transferring from DePaul University, she was a costume and props master for The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, as well as doing shows in high school. She is very excited to be assistant stage manager for Cabaret. She would like to thank her friends and family for supporting her.
Lauren Gronsky is a freshman theatre production major and is excited to be working sound for her first Heidelberg performance. In her free time, she is a part of the marching band and dance team. Lauren would like to thank her family for always supporting her and coming to all of her shows.
Lo Erin Jackson is a Junior Musical Theatre major who is also studying German! Originally from Columbus, many of her credits include performances on the stage. However, for Cabaret she will be trying her hand at assistant directing! Previously at Heidelberg, she has performed in many musicals, assisted for costumes/makeup, taken photos for School of Music and Theatre events, acted as a company manager, and a few other roles in the production area. Lo is also involved in many groups on Heidelberg’s campus, such as Zeta Theta Psi, Rho Eta Delta, SLAMH, URGE, WSU, BBPA, DeutschKlub, College Democrats, and many study abroad programs. She is very excited to be working on the other side of the table and being able to share her love for the German language and culture with her classmates.
Heather McNeil earned a BFA in Musical Theatre from Ithaca College and an MFA in Dance from Sarah Lawrence College. She has served as the Camps and Outreach Coordinator for the Red House Arts Center, Theatre Dept. Chair at the Connecticut Conservatory, and has choreographed for youth, community and regional theatre performances in Connecticut and New York. She is a former member of The Zurich Comedy Club and Blueberry Pond Theatre Ensemble, as well as, a founding member of Karen's After Dark Playwriting Workshop and The Harriet Tubman Troupe. Heather is grateful to have the opportunity to collaborate with David and Stephen and is honored to work with the talented and dedicated students at Heidelberg. She'd like to thank Lara and Emma for their love and support - you're the best!
Hannah Schoen is the assistant costume designer and part of the wardrobe team for Cabaret. She is a sophomore Musical Theatre major at Heidelberg. Since coming to Heidelberg she has been involved with The Music Man, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime, and The Penguin Tango. She hopes to continue to learn more about acting and costume design in the future here at Heidelberg. Thank you and enjoy the show.
Mandy Sharier is a sophomore at Heidelberg University majoring in Psychology and Religion with a minor in Writing. She has done props for Heidelberg’s productions of The Music Man and The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime. Mandy is pleased to be doing the same for this performance of Cabaret.
Stephen Svoboda is currently an Assistant Professor of Theatre at Heidelberg University, where he teaches coursework in acting, script analysis, musical theatre direction, play direction, theatre history and criticism. He is responsible for curriculum and course development in The School of Music & Theatre as well as being responsible for the artistic and programmatic development of Gundlach Theatre. He served as the Executive Artistic Director of the Redhouse Arts Center from 2011-2016. Previously, he served as the Executive Artistic Director of the Adirondack Lakes Center for the Arts in Blue Mountain Lake, N.Y. While at the Redhouse Arts Center, Stephen developed unique partnerships with a variety of organizations throughout the state, including a multi-million-dollar contract with the Syracuse City Schools that made The Redhouse the regional leader in arts education and integration. In addition, while at the Redhouse he created a repertory company of artists, designers and community members that enabled him to produce, in a typical year, over 16 productions, 300 classes and cultivate relationships with communities typically underserved by arts including urban youth and families and adults with disabilities. Prior to working in regional arts centers, Stephen taught at the University of Miami, where his students and colleagues ranked him as one of the best teachers in the College of Arts and Sciences. He created a BFA in Playwriting and Directing track that focused on developing young dramatists through devising, growing, and staging new works, while celebrating the great diversity of student voices.
His play, Odysseus Died from AIDS, was developed in Miami and received its world premiere at the New York International Fringe Festival, where the production was awarded “Best Ensemble.“ Odysseus Died from AIDS was published in the anthology Plays and Playwrights 2005, by the New York Theatre Experience, and received its international premiere in 2007 in Athens, Greece with a subsequent production in Seoul, South Korea in 2008. In March 2011, the Red House production of Odysseus DOA had a limited engagement run at Theatre Row Studios in NYC. Odysseus DOA had its regional premiere in 2012 at Connecticut Repertory Theatre, where the production was awarded “Best Play in Connecticut” by Broadway World. The Penguin Tango, premiered at the 2006 New York International Fringe Festival in The Actor’s Playhouse. The production was awarded “Best of the Festival” and extended as part of the Fringe Encore Series in the Lion Theater at Theatre Row. It was recently revived and revised on the Redhouse stage as part of the 2014-2015 season. Reconstructing Mama, a new musical written with N. David Williams, premiered Off Broadway at The Theatre Row Studios in August 2006. Stephen works internationally with The Harambe Project to help do HIV/AIDS education and prevention and orphan care throughout Africa.
Taylor Whitright is a Theatre Production and Early Childhood Education major. She is a recent graduate of South Central High School. There she was a stage crew member and stage manager for various productions throughout her 4 years. She would like to thank not only her close knit family, but also Linda D. Jackson and Benjamin Chaffee Jr. for their continued support and inspiration in pursuing theatre.
