BWW Q&A: Freddie Ashley on CABARET at Actor's Express Theatre

Actor’s Express transforms into the Kit Kat Club, a decadent hotspot in anything-goes 1929 Berlin. An idealistic young American meets an eclectic circle of Berliners, most notably Sally Bowles, the outrageous chanteuse determined to keep the party going at all costs. But everything is destined to change as the storm clouds of war gather on the horizon. Full of memorable classic songs like “Wilkommen,” “Mein Herr,” “Maybe This Time” and, of course, the title song, Cabaret is one of the great masterpieces of the American stage. Cabaret will run from July 25th-September 1st at the Actor's Express Theatre in Atlanta, GA.

To purchase tickets and for more information about the theatre please visit us at actors-express.com or give us a call at 404-647-7469.

Freddie Ashley is Artistic Director of Actor’s Express. He has directed around 45 AE productions, including Prayer for the French Republic, Fun Home, The Crucible, Sweeney Todd and Company. He has directed projects locally at Dad’s Garage, Atlanta Lyric Theatre, Jewish Theatre of the South, Theatre Gael and Aurora Theatre. He has been a frequent guest director at universities, including Virginia Commonwealth University, Hendrix College, University of Georgia, Austin Peay State University and Oglethorpe University. He recently directed The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee at Connecticut Repertory Theatre. 

Ashley has worked on new play projects around the country with the Playwrights Center, Kennedy Center, New Group, Page 73, New York Stage and Film and the Alliance Theatre, where he served as Literary Manager. He has worked on new play projects with some of the most compelling and important writers working in the American theatre today, including John Patrick Shanley, Joshua Harmon, Lindsey Ferrentino, Jen Silverman, Kenneth Lin, Janine Nabers, Marco Ramirez and Michael Lew.

He is a four-time Suzi Bass Award winner and has been named Best Director in Atlanta three times by Creative Loafing. He has received the Elliott Hayes Award for Dramaturgy from the Literary Managers and Dramaturgs of the Americas and the Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival Medallion of Excellence. He is Immediate Past President of the National New Play Network Board of Directors and a member of The National Theatre Conference. Ashley holds an MFA in Theatre Performance from the University of Southern Mississippi.

Can you tell us about your journey in directing about 45 AE productions?

I first directed a few shows prior to becoming Artistic Director. But once I began this job in the summer of 2007, it became a condition of my contract to direct at least two productions a year. It was an easy condition to agree to, as I'm never happier than when I'm in a rehearsal hall. It has also afforded me the opportunity to direct a wide variety of work.

What was your most challenging project to direct and why?

It may seem odd, but I think the most challenging was the musical Head Over Heels in 2019. It's a funny, light show, but there were so many elements to stitch together. It was a huge cast with music, intense choreography and dialogue in iambic pentameter. Comedy can me more challenging than drama in the best of circumstances, but this one was an unusually big undertaking for us.

How did you feel when you were named as the Best Director in Atlanta three times by Creative Loafing?

Anytime your work is recognized, it's very gratifying. I think the first time it happened was one of those first moments I realized I held a certain position in the community and that I needed to step up to the responsibility of being a leader even beyond my own theatre.

As the director of "Cabaret", what unique aspects did you bring to this production?

We wanted to create an immersive experience and make the audience feel as though they have been dropped into the middle of this nightclub in Berlin in 1929. I believe our approach to the production has delivered on this goal. And we have really investigated some of the musical numbers in a way that may feel like a different interpretation than what people may have seen before. I feel like we've brought a whole different vibe with this production without having changed one word of dialogue or one note of music.

How do you approach directing a classic such as "Cabaret"?

I try to divorce myself from preconceived notions about the work or previous productions of it. I go back through the script as though it's a new play and try to make interpretive choices that meet an audience of today. It's a production for a fleeting contemporaneous moment, and it needs to step up to that moment in real time. It's never about "reimagining" or "reinventing" the show -- those words make me cringe. It's just about interrogating the material and making choices that will resonate with people right now in real time.

Could you share some details about Actor’s Express's transformation into the Kit Kat Club for Cabaret?

Audiences will enter the space through a speakeasy door and see tables with lamps. We have a black and white silent documentary from the 1920s about German nightlife playing on the floor when you walk in, and the whole space is atmospheric and cool. No seat is farther than four rows from the action, so people will feel part of it all.

Why must audiences come and see the show?

I mean, it's the hot ticket of the summer. Hands down. At the risk of sounding immodest, I think this will be one of those productions that will make people kick themselves if they miss it. The cast is out of this world and the whole production is really special.

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