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Under the bright lights of the intimate Bert C. Bach Theatre, the air is electric.  

East Tennessee State University student Jonah Harris-Furches watches as his castmates, dressed in glittering vests and bowler hats, mount their chairs with precision.  

There are tapping heels. Focused gazes.

“Everyone has worked so hard, and I am so proud to be part of this,” he said.  

For Director Melissa Shafer, the production is both a challenge and a tribute to her students’ talent.

“I would put our crew up against any professional group,” said Shafer, a St. Louis native who has taught theater across the Southeast and co-authored a well-regarded book on theater design with department Chair Karen Brewster. “They have worked so hard, and I believe that will be clear to the community when they come out to see the performance.”  

ETSU’s production of “Cabaret: The Musical” takes place in the Bach Theatre at the ETSU Martin Center for the Arts at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday-Saturday, Nov. 20-23. A 2 p.m. matinee is scheduled for Sunday, Nov. 24. 

Set in a Berlin nightclub in the late 1920s, “Cabaret” follows the story of a young American writer who arrives in Berlin and is captivated by Sally Bowles, an English singer performing at the Kit Kat Klub.  

As Cliff becomes entwined with Sally and the inhabitants of the boarding house, the shadow of the Third Reich grows ever darker, challenging their ideals and changing their lives.  

The cast is made up of all ETSU students, including Ava Barnes, Cal Blagg, Grayson Buchanan, Molly Burnett, Stephen Cradic, Natalie Duncan, Zaiah Gray, Josh Hall, Jonah Harris-Furches, Ethan Marsee, Kas Reeves, Jack Stapleton, Katie Thorpe, Christina Ward, Rebekah Williams and Skylar Zaugg. 

“Cabaret” is presented by arrangement with Concord Theatricals on behalf of Tams-Witmark LLC. 

Note that the production explores mature themes, including antisemitism.

For Harris-Furches and his fellow performers, the production is more than just a show – it’s a culmination of hard work and a chance to embody characters whose lives teeter on the edge of a tumultuous era. 

“Much of what is happening on stage is timely now,” he said.