Cabaret - Sally Bowles

Talk about the role of the lifetime! I had the amazing opportunity to play Sally Bowles in ETSU’s production of Cabaret at the Bert C. Bach theatre. Sally Bowles was a dream role for me! Growing up as a dance, I’ve always been drawn to Fosse dance. I love the intricacy and quirkiness of the movement. I loved playing Sally Bowles because of her emotional depth, confidence and passion. It was such a phenomenal opportunity!

Playing Sally Bowles meant so much to me that I wrote my undergraduate thesis about the experience. The piece is entitled The Art of Living: Healing Through the Artistic Process. In this, I explore the many ways that engaging in an artistic practice, such as a role in a play, painting, or writing poetry, can scientifically allow for healing from difficult circumstances. I analyze this through my own experience playing Sally, as this role came to me in a period of my life with a lot of change, healing and growth.

Direction: Melissa Shafer

Music Direction: Brad Fugate

Choreography: Cara Harker

Stage Management: Micah Blevins, with Emily Jarrett and Dallas Lindsay

View production photos below!

Stage performance with dancers in black costumes and bowler hats, some seated and some arm outstretched, while three performers in the center on a stool, dressed in black and seated, are engaged in a close interaction.

A group of people practicing a ballet lift in a dance studio, with some observing in the background.

A theatrical stage performance with a group of dancers in vintage-style costumes performing a choreographed dance in front of a live jazz band on stage. The band includes a double bass player, a pianist, an accordion player, and a singer.

A group of diverse young dancers rehearsing in a dance studio, lined up in a formation with some in mid-dance pose.

The scene shows a group of performers on stage, dressed in 1920s style costumes, with some dancing in front and others playing musical instruments in the background.

A group of people in dance attire practicing or rehearsing in a dance studio with a large open space and gray walls.

A woman performing a dance move on stage, lying on her back with one leg raised and the other bent, wearing a black lace outfit and beige heels, with a dark curtain backdrop and stage lighting.

A group of women practicing dance in a studio with chairs and a barre.

A performer dressed in lingerie with lace details, stockings, and heels, posing on stage with a dramatic expression.

Six women in dance attire sitting on chairs holding hands in a dance studio with a gray wall and ballet bar.

A woman with red hair, wearing a red and black satin robe and a black lace top, sitting at a table with a black hat, a small mirror, a box, a decanter, and glasses, looking surprised or shocked in a theatrical performance.

Six women practicing ballet in a dance studio, standing behind wooden chairs with their hands on their hips or heads turned, wearing black or workout clothing.