Bad, Bad, Bad Boys. Thomas Guiry and Harvey Keitel team
up to play military men on a daring mission to capture a
top-secret Nazi decoding device from a German
submarine.
... page 9
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Pauper Players Celebrates
10 Years of Musical Shows
By Joanna Pearson
Staff Writer
In 1989, UNC didn’t have rhythm, and it did
n’t have music - in fact, UNC didn’t have musi
cal theater at all.
That is, until Angela Coin, Tristan Bishop, Ben
Hanson and Wade Dansby 3, united by a com
mon love of musical theater, decided UNC need
ed an undergraduate musical theater perform
ance group.
Tossing around names for the group, someone
suggested “Coin Company" as a play on Coin’s
name. Realizing the irony of this name- as actors
they’d likely have very little money - they
thought they’d play off their poverty instead, and
Pauper Players was bom.
Pauper Players is the only group on campus
that performs musical theater exclusively. It is
also unique because those involved are not exclu
sively drama majors.
“The biggest joy is seeing students who are not
drama or music majors who just love to sing and
perform," said Dansby.
Pauper Players Administrator Amy Smith
agreed that the group has a unique bond.
“Something that makes us special is that once
you are involved, you can be involved as long as
you want. It’s sort of like a big family.”
Besides offering a fun, family-like environment
for people interested in production and perform
ance, Pauper Players has provided UNC with 10
years of excellent performances.
As they get ready to crown their 10th anniver
sary with a performance of “Cabaret" this Friday,
Dansby recounted memorable performances of
the past.
“‘Les Miserables’ in 1990 was amazing. All
these students were attempting this incredibly
ambitious project, and we gave all the proceeds
to the AIDS Foundation,” Dansby said.
“Because it was a charity we got special per
mission to perform it. It was an amazing, amaz
Skimpy Costumes Lighten Mood of Persecution in 'Cabaret'
By Carmen Woodruff
Staff Writer
This weekend, Pauper Players fills the stage with song and dance
for the 22nd time in 10 years. But this time around, fewer clothes
are involved.
In their rendition of “Cabaret," the actors pose provocatively to
relay a deeper theme. Under the heavy voices, music and dance,
the major issues of World War II whisper.
The show takes place in Berlin,
Germany, in the 19305, where
Fraulein Schneider owns a boarding
house. Attracted to a Jewish man,
Schneider is in love with an enemy
of society.
“Our intent is to have you take a
moment to recognize the events of
persecution that have taken place -
that do take place -and our igno
rance that allows it,” said director
Jennifer Novak.
A senior international studies and
art history double major from Apex,
Novak signed up for the directing
position as soon as she found out
Pauper Players would produce
“Cabaret” this spring.
Novak strived for complete accu
racy, so historical research was
included with the rehearsals. Cast
members were required to partici
pate in “Holocaust Remembrance
Week” earlier this month.
Within this story line, bright lights
and risque behavior of the dancers at
the Kit Kat Club keeps the crowd
entertained. Behind the glitter and
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...page 6
ing show.”
From their first show, which was “Grease,"
Pauper Players have performed an incredible
variety of plays. It was Pauper Players’ 1993 per
formance of “West Side Story” that led to the
founding of another campus performing group,
Company Carolina.
“The director of (“West Side Story”) decided
Pauper Players was ‘too fun’ so he started
Company Carolina on a professional theater
model,” Dansby said. “In 1989 there was no
musical theater, and by 1993 there were two.
Now (Lab! Theatre) is doing some musical the
ater. It’s pretty amazing,”
Dansby not only credits Pauper Players with
improving the campus receptiveness to musical
theater, but he also credits Pauper Players for
improving performance opportunities in gener
al for students.
“Since Pauper Players, the Drama Department
has changed over the past 10 years, and the face
of undergraduate opportunity has changed,”
Dansby said. “Pauper Players can take credit for
all of that.”
Today, according to Pauper Players historian
Karen Master, Pauper Players’ performance
selections respond to professional musical theater
trends.
“Right now there is a lot of interest in the cur
rent Broadway scene,” Master said. “There is a
big Bob Fosse influence, so we are really mirror
ing here what’s going on in Broadway.”
As Pauper Players moves on into its second
decade, the group will still have to face some
challenges. Perhaps the major challenge is that of
finding a permanent performance space.
“No matter how good the show, we lose
money every time we perform in the Cabaret.
Over the past few years, Old Playmakers Theatre
has not been available to us, and it’s difficult to
run a group without a definite performance
space.” Dansby said.
Master agreed, “In the Cabaret, there are cer-
skimpy costumes, they relay the harsh realities in a lighter fashion.
Sophomore Keenan Tabor, who portrays one of the Kit Kat
girls, advises everyone to be prepared.
“It definitely pushes the envelope of what people are used to
seeing. It has a lot of political commentary,” she said. Asa dancer,
Tabor doesn’t mind dressing in undergarments to fit the part.
Senior C. Hawkins from Henderson is the man behind the
design of the costumes.
Hawkins’ styles were showcased in “The Wiz” and “Little Shop
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Joe Parker and Shara Merritt play the leads
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"Cabaret," a show that features risque costumes, marks Pauper Players'
10th anniversary and its 22nd performance.
tain limits to staging as well.”
Still, Pauper Players has no lack of enthusiasm,
and if all goes well, they plan to be around for
many more years.
Smith summed up her vision of Pauper
Players’ goals for the future.
of Horrors" last year. “At first people
will be like ‘Oh my gosh, these girls
have no clothes on,’ but if you know
‘Cabaret,’ you’ll know what to
expect," he said.
The rest of the crew behind the
scenes includes a vocal coach, a
music director, and a dialect coach to
perfect the German accents.
The performers are no rookies to
the stage. Sophomore Jeremy
O’Keefe, who plays the Jewish love
interest of Fraulein Schneider was
featured on one of the crime re
enactment’s of “Unsolved
Mysteries.” A native of Wilmington,
Del., the dramatic art major lives two
hours from New York City. The short
commute opened doors to summer
internships helping the sophomore
delve into his interest in directing.
“You’ll laugh at a scene after you
almost cried, because that’s the
nature of the show. That’s the nature
of life,” O’Keefe said of this week
end’s show,
Shara Merritt, a junior from
Orlando, Fla., plays the main female
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PAGE 5
“We want to continue putting on what we
hope are good shows and for the public to con
tinue to enjoy them.”
The Arts & Entertainment Editor can be
reached at artsdesk@unc.edu.
Pauper Players Keeps Playing
For 10 years, the student-run musical theater group Pauper Players
has supplied Broadway hits to the UNC community.
1989: Grease
1990: Les Miserables, Anything Goes!
1991: Chicago, Guys and Dolls
1992: Sweeney Todd, Little Shop of Horrors
1993: Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, West Side Story
1994: The Wiz, The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas
1995: Kiss Me, Kate!, Into the Woods
1996: Chess, Hair
1997: Godspell, Little Shop of Horrors
1998: The Wiz, Gypsy
1999: Grease, Pippin
2000: Cabaret
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role of Sally Bowles.
“I think ‘Cabaret’ is definitely traumatic, much deeper than you
would assume,” she said.
Other principle actors to watch include seniors Virginia Tuller,
Joe Parker, and David Lorenc.
The show is located in the “Cabaret” inside of the Student
Union tomorrow through Sunday. Showtimes are at 8 p.m. each
night with two 3 p.m. matinees. Tickets are on sale now from
11 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the Pit.
The Arts & Entertainment Editor can be
reached at artsdesk@unc.edu.