FIELD TRIPS to "Paris"

There's nothing more stimulating than a day trip to "Paris." Depending on your local resources, the trip can include visits to a French establishment or museum, the show and a restaurant. In Chicago, we have the support of restaurants such as Zhivago's in Skokie, Cyrano's and Café Bernard in Chicago, the Randolph Street Café of the Chicago Cultural Center and theatre venues like the Royal George theatre complex and The Theatre Building.

BRINGING "PARIS" to your school

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

SETTING THE STAGE for school assemblies

It's best to have the show in as intimate a setting as possible. A group of 50 can go to the "cabaret club" located on the auditorium stage; with curtain drawn, add a few small tables, a piano, dècor, 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 or bud vases, 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, pastries, and croques monsieurs.

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?

Technical Requirements:

• A piano in good working order. Roland electronic spinets which simulate full piano action can be used.
• Lighting: where possible, low ambient light and a follow-spot.
• A speaker-amplifier suitable for music. The musicians supply one wireless microphone unit and one standard vocal mike with cables. If necessary, the performers will bring a rental sound system.

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 some of the one-on-one rapport, it is preferable to divide large groups into two performances when possible.

Maison Clobert | P. O. Box 259327 | Chicago, IL 60625 | (773) 509-9360 | (888) 590-9360
info@cabaret-paree.com