THE TEACHER AS IMPRESARIO

by arts-in-education performer Claudia Hommel
AATF presentation - Paris, Summer 2000

FIELD TRIPS to "Paris"

There's nothing more stimulating than a day trip to "Paris". Depending on your local resources, make a Parisian day of it with a visit to a French establishment or museum exhibit, then to a restaurant featuring a show and dialogue with Claudia Hommel. In Chicago, we have the support of restaurants such as Zhivago in Skokie and theatre venues like the Royal George.

SETTING THE STAGE for school assemblies

Performances in school allow for a greater number of students to participate and provide more time to engage in workshops and master classes. If you prefer an in-school experience, why not transform your school into "Paris"!

It's best to have the show in as intimate a setting as possible. A group of 50 can go to the "cabaret club" on the auditorium stage; with curtain drawn, add two or three small tables, a piano, décor, et voilà! A group of 100 can use the school library or social room; a group of 200 can take over the gym or cafeteria. With the judicious use of a follow-spot and a scattering of cloth-covered tables topped with candles, students can create their own cabaret room. Other setups have included a large hallway, the band room, and the orchestra pit area of a large auditorium.

Donations of foods from parents, staff, and local bakeries make for a festive and genuine cabaret experience. Menus can be as simple as cheese and baguettes or as complex as quiches, salads, fruit plates, crepes, and pastries.

Whether going on a field trip or to the cabaret at school, don't forget to dress for the event! What would you wear for a cabaret evening?

Getting everyone into the act:

The more students are involved in preparations for the show and "running" it, the better. Everyone can get into the act.

THE PUBLICITY and PUBLIC RELATIONS CREW

* More information about Claudia Hommel's "School Notes for cabaret programs" is available on request from Joëlle Productions, page 3.

THE SET-UP CREW(for in-school performances)

Technical Requirements:

Audience Size

The small audience of 30 is appropriate to cabaret and is often reserved for the French Club or advanced students. For many schools, 200-250 attendees is optimal. This still allows everyone to have some contact with the performer as she "mingles" with the crowd (the boys may blush, the girls giggle and everyone discovers why coquette is a French word). Because larger audiences lose much of the one-on-one rapport, we prefer to divide large groups into two performances.

Pre-production

THE JOURNALISTS-editorial assignments:

The music and theatre critics can sample recordings and films to learn about the type of music and theatre they're going to review. For example, recordings of Edith Piaf, Juliette Gréco, Yves Montand, Josephine Baker, Maurice Chevalier, or others singing French songs from the 1920s to the 1950s. Films like Paris Blues; April in Paris; Blue Angel; Can-Can; Paris Blues; Victor, Victoria; Édith et Marcel; Zou Zou and Cabaret give a taste for different kinds of cabaret scenes.

The features writers should review Claudia's promotional materials. They can interview her à la People magazine or Rolling Stone. Check out "celebrity interviews". The goal is to be personal without invading the diva's privacy.

The news reporters will be covering the performance as a newsworthy event or human interest story, writing for a school or community newspaper. News analysis is important: provide background about the artists and the audience, provide a context for the content of the show. What responses did people have to the event? Was the money well spent? Was the show a scandal? What impact might this have for the future? Is interest in French and cabaret a growing trend?

THE FUND-RAISING CREW

Money is never an easy question but there are lots of ways to raise funds and fun both.