Whether it’s center stage, behind the scenes or in the front office, Oglethorpe University has its fingerprints all over the current Actor’s Express production of “Cabaret.”

Recent graduates Chloe Campbell ’24, Wynne Kelly ’24 and Caroline Gammage ’23 have significant roles in the musical, a Broadway hit portraying 1920s Berlin nightlife prior to the rise of the Third Reich. Current OU students Emma Jean Scott and Summer Stockard are also working at Actor’s Express this summer as the marketing assistant and development assistant respectively. “It was an amazing show,” said Oglethorpe President Kathryn McClymond, who was in the audience August 17. “The performances were spectacular, and it just reinforced for me the importance of our partnership with Actor’s Express providing our students an opportunity to gain valuable experience and our talented graduates opportunities to perform.” “Cabaret” runs through Sept. 1 at Actor’s Express, and it has received rave reviews. Oglethorpe has co-produced shows with Actor’s Express annually for the past three years beginning in 2022 with “Heathers.” In 2023 the partnership included a production of the Broadway musical “Urinetown,” and in 2024 the co-production was the West End-show “Everybody’s Talking About Jamie!” Although “Cabaret” is not a co-production, it is part of Actor’s Express’ 36^th season. The next Actor’s Express co-production with Oglethorpe for 2024-2025 will be announced soon.

The Oglethorpe alumnae earned their roles in “Cabaret” through a general audition process Actor’s Express conducted for its entire season. Campbell and Kelly received callbacks and were cast as Kit Kat Klub dancers. Campbell portrays Rosie and Kelly is Helga. Gammage is appearing as Texas and is an understudy to Fraulein Kost. “I am one of the performers at the Kit Kat Klub, but we each have created such a beautiful and inviting life for our characters,” Campbell said. “Rosie is super welcoming and very excited about everything and everyone. While being so sweet she can be very thorny with fun and exciting outbursts of energy.” Kelly said “Cabaret” was an important show and performing in it has always been a dream of hers. “My role as Helga is an ensemble role as I am one of the Kit Kat dancers in the club that the show is set in,” Kelly said. “My job as a Kit Kat dancer is to establish the emotional setting of the show to enhance what is happening between characters in the book scenes.”

During her time at Oglethorpe, Campbell was cast as Heather McNamara in the Actor’s Express show “Heathers,” Montano in “Othello,” Soupy Sue in the Actor’s Express production of “Urinetown,” juror No. 8 in “Twelve Angry Jurors”, Ma in “Grapes of Wrath” and Veronica in “M_______ with a Hat.” Kelly’s first year at Oglethorpe was during the COVID pandemic, curtailing her early involvement in shows. During her first semester she had the opportunity to be a part of “Cultivating Brave Spaces,” an online piece composed of student written/produced art. After the return to in-person instruction, she landed a role in “Broadway Unplugged,” which was directed by Oglethorpe Alum, Jessica De Maria ’11. She performed with Campbell in “Heathers” as Heather Duke and “Urinetown” as Mrs. Millennium. This past spring she played Bex in “Everybody’s Talking about Jamie!”, also co-produced by Actor’s Express. “The co productions that Oglethorpe did with Actor’s Express played such a big part helping me acclimate to the professional theatre environment,” Campbell said. “It was a safe learning space. I learned how to foster so many important relationships with directors, stage crew and other actors.” Campbell and Kelly not only worked with each other in Actor’s Express shows while undergrads, they also developed a rapport with the directors and other professionals. “The relationship between Oglethorpe and Actor’s Express is something that I am grateful for every day,” Kelly said. “I was able to establish my own relationship with this company as a performer in an educational setting before fully entering the professional world, which helped prepare me a lot for what to expect in the professional theatre scene.”

Campbell has exciting projects coming up with local theatre groups in Atlanta that will be announced soon. She is also teaching afterschool program classes at different under-funded schools across Atlanta as well as studios local to the Brookhaven area. Kelly is currently working as a teaching artist at the Alliance Theatre and plans to continue auditioning and performing around Atlanta. Her next project will be “Hairspray” Oct. 24 – Nov. 9 at OutFront Theatre Company in which she will be playing Amber. Both Kelly and Campbell encouraged Oglethorpe theatre students to put themselves out there and make the most of their opportunities. “Don’t be afraid to ask questions and learn from the people that you get the chance to work with,” Kelly said. “The Atlanta theatre scene can be very closed off, but Oglethorpe is very plugged in. There are so many opportunities that you have to learn and grow from the faculty of professors as well as the actors that you meet through the co-productions. Take advantage of those opportunities and don’t forget that you are still allowed to learn in those spaces.” “Seize every opportunity that comes your way,” Campbell said. “I think it’s so important to utilize the space as a learning space as it’s intended. You have the potential to learn who you are, make new discoveries, learn things you like and or may not like, etc. I wouldn’t feel half as confident or secure in my talents as I do now or that I had the potential to grow, had I not taken advantage of every show every workshop and every connection I made through Oglethorpe.” And, of course, the Oglethorpe community should support their fellow Petrels and make plans to see “Cabaret.” Tickets are available from Actor’s Express online, and the show closes Sept. 1.