O'NEILL
CABARET SYMPOSIUM
REPORTED TO HAVE CUT SCHEDULE FOR 2001
In an article in today's
(April 6, 2001) BACK STAGE Magazine, David Finkle reports that due
to unexpected funding problems for the $135,000.00 per year program,
the EUGENE O'NEILL CABARET SYMPOSIUM has been cut back from the former
8-day program to a 4-day camp, running from Wednesday, August 22nd
through Saturday, August 25th. The staff reportedly would be cut back
as well. Tuition charges have been reduced, according to Mr. Finkle,
from the $1750.00 charged last year to a probable $750.00.
Originally, the rumor had
been circulating that the Symposium would be cancelled completely
in 2001, but Ellie Ellsworth told Mr. Finkle that this short-term
solution was offered by the Executive Director of the Eugene O'Neill
Theater Center, Howard Sherman. Auditions of the 2001 Symposium have
already been held in various cities around the country.
The Cabaret Symposium began
in 1989, when then O'Neill Executive Director George Wolf's wife Betsy
and her cousin Ellie Ellsworth were on a shopping spree in New York
City. Betsy mentioned to Ellie that they had just remodeled a cabin
on the O'Neill property into a small cafe, with a stage, tables, and
even a bar. The Cabaret Symposium concept was born, and within weeks
they had lined up their first Cabaret Master, Margaret Whiting. Soon
they were holding auditions for the first batch of "Cabaret Fellows,"
an appellation given to enrollees in the program. In the 12 years
since the program began, over 425 Cabaret Fellows have graduated the
program, and over 50 Cabaret Masters have taken the time to share
their knowledge and expertise. The list of past and current Cabaret
Masters includes, in addition to Ms. Whiting, such names as Julie
Wilson, Andrea Marcovicci, Kay Starr, Ann Hampton Callaway, Karen
Akers, Marilyn Lovell Matz, Craig Carnelia, Carol Hall, Julie Halston,
Sally Mayes, Sharon McNight, Lina Koutrakos and Liliane Montevecchi.
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