The cabaret student performers break for a photo during rehearsal, pictured with Professor Liv Cummins and Musical Director Miranda Slingluff (back row, center).
Senior Ilana Zack ’22 has always been a fan of musical theater, but she never imagined herself writing and performing original compositions.
That changed when she enrolled in the Art and Craft of Musical Theater Writing course, through which Zack and nine fellow undergraduates have spent the spring semester developing songs and scenes they’ll debut for their final project in Washburn Auditorium on Wednesday and Thursday at 7 p.m.
“We’ve worked in groups, and now this is another collaborative project to put on this performance and showcase what we’re working on,” said Zack, who is majoring in Animation and minoring in Drama. “We haven’t had live theater in so long. This is a chance to be together as a community. We’re a little nervous, but we also feel like, ‘What’s to lose. Let’s have fun!’”
Lesley’s first cabaret debuted in 2018 as the culmination of the then-new Art and Craft of Musical Theater Writing class. The live cabaret night was set to return in 2020 but was scuttled by the pandemic.
As the students prepared to bring back the event, they drew on their personal experiences and imagination to craft pieces for the show — including a fantasy piece about Willow, the beloved neighborhood cat who trots around Doble Campus and soaks up attention from members the Lesley community.
“The pieces range from serious to silly,” said senior Maya Caspi ’22, a Graphic Design major. “We’re writing from our own experience about what’s going on in the world.”
“Our main song is called ‘Writing is Hard,’ which is kind of our general self-explanatory cabaret theme,” added Zack.
Other pieces address capitalism, social issues, wearing masks, stress, and other more serious reflections on college students’ pressures and experiences in a challenging world.
The course fostered songwriting, singing and acting skills as well as a collaborative effort to build and market the public performance.
“We’re also doing the production work and the advertising,” said Caspi. “And the narrative is interesting because it came after all the songs we had written. Once we decided on the songs we wanted to include we decided how to string them together. The framing device is a student trying to write to pass a class.”
The Art and Craft of Musical Theater Writing course enrolls students from the College of Art and Design and the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. It has stretched the students’ comfort zones and also introduced them to new peers.
Musical Director Miranda Slingluff (seated at piano) guides student performers on vocal warmups (from left) Nija Huba, Summer Steele, Neve Pires and Lily Sanpietro.
“This group of students is really special, from their enthusiasm and work on the show to their campaign to sell ads in the program to raise money for the victims of the war in Ukraine,” said Professor Liv Cummins, who teaches the course. “Their generous fundraising efforts and their dedication to putting together a live show are inspiring, especially in the face of the strain, challenges and changes of this year due to the pandemic and personal challenges.”
Attend ‘A Collaboration Cabaret’ to support Lesley students and charitable causes
“A Collaboration Cabaret” will enjoy a two-night run, on Wednesday, April 13, and Thursday, April 14, from 7-8:30 p.m. in Washburn Auditorium. The event is free and open to the Lesley community and members of the public. Attendees from outside the Lesley community must adhere to Lesley COVID protocols by completing the COVID-19 Self Assessment.
Donations at the door and proceeds from the snacks and refreshments will benefit the Theater Community Benevolent Fund and Doctors without Borders, which is responding to the war in Ukraine.
In addition to Zack and Caspi, the cast members are: Nija Huba ’25, Milton Kim ’24, Lucci O’Keefe ’23, Neve Pires, Meghan Plourde ’22, Lily Sanpietro ’25 and Summer Steele ’25.
Lesley graduate student Sarah Anne Stinnett, who is enrolled in the MFA in Creative Writing program, is the production manager. The musical director is Miranda Slingluff, a student at the Boston Conservatory.