The Musical Theater Society (MTS) danced into the spirit of giving with their Holiday Cabaret, donating all proceeds to Feed My Sheep, a local food pantry in Slippery Rock.
General admission for students was $5 and $7 for adults, but if a student or adult wished to donate to Feed My Sheep in place of purchasing a ticket, they could donate two to three canned goods to equal one ticket for admission to the cabaret.
Along with weekly rehearsals, members of MTS moved into Sheehy a few weeks ago, and started tech week this past Sunday after a month and a half of preparation since auditions in late October.
Grace Shockey, a junior secondary education English major and theater minor, expressed love for the theater in the basement of Maltby, stating that Sheehy is one of MTS’ favorite spaces to use as an organization.
With the holiday season in full swing, Shockey hopes that the Holidaze Cabaret provides an uplifting spirit for those involved and in the audience.
“I know the holiday season, especially finals week, gets really rough,” Shockey said. “I want people to have that moment where they take this time to relax.”
Shockey, the documentarian on the executive board, has been involved with MTS since her first semester on campus, serving on the directing staff for the Holidaze Cabaret.
Shockey said that although a majority of the songs will be Christmas, a few entail a Nightmare Before Christmas vibe and even a Thanksgiving theme. Though, with Christmas classics such as “White Christmas” and “Baby It’s Cold Outside,” Shockey said that the audience will be familiar with the set and even be encouraged to participate.
To Shockey, the holiday season is about appreciating what she has in her life and hopes that the cabaret provides a warm fuzzy feeling to others.
Shockey hopes to share the feeling similar to going home to see family members and having warm cooked meals.
“We end the show with “Happy Christmas War is Over” by Jon Lennon and the ensemble is singing along,” Shockey said. “We want that good feeling. For me, that’s very important.”
Along with sharing the holiday spirit, Shockey said that her favorite part of MTS are the people she gets to share her experience with. Shockey performs alongside students from a multitude of backgrounds; with biology majors, new BFA majors, graduate students and a collective of others.
“There’s a reason people come back,” Shockey said. “We really get to experience that love for theatre together that we might not get to if we went to another school.”
Shockey said that once she entered college, there was no guarantee that she would be able to continue pursuing her passion for theater, but was thankful to find an organization like MTS.
To stay up to date on auditions and shows for MTS, follow them on Instagram and Twitter @mts_at_sru.
