\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/em>Why Am I So Single<\/em> is about two writers named Nancy and Oliver who are commissioned to write a show. They don\u2019t know what to write about so they decide to write about their dating experiences and why at the end, they still remain single. What can they possibly be doing wrong for people to not like them? Although this show needed more workshopping, I appreciated how these two writers, Lucy Moss and Toby Marlow, wrote a show about their experiences, hoping that people would be seen through them (especially with Marlow accepting that they are non binary). In the show, Oliver is non-binary, similar to Marlow. I love this aspect of theatre where people are open to sharing their experiences, creating a safe space for others to do so.<\/p>\n Despite the writing not being the best, I still enjoyed it with its catchy tunes, campiness, and choreography (especially in the song \u201c8 Dates”).\u00a0 I also really loved how the ensemble functioned in this show and how there was clear chemistry between Nancy and Oliver. At the end of the show, there was a moment where Nancy goes back to Oliver\u2019s flat after initially planning to join her ex in Paris. Here, she realized that she didn\u2019t need to be in a romantic relationship in order to feel loved but instead, being in friendships is enough. This message really resonated with me because with social media, relationships can be depicted as \u201cperfect\u201d even though it comes with heart breaks. Additionally, as someone with friends around me who are dating, it can feel isolating. Similar to the characters of the show, I question \u201cwhat\u2019s wrong with me?\u201d It is not worth it going down that path and instead, we should recognize the unique qualities we possess. We do not need someone\u2019s approval to be ourselves.<\/p>\n (Program photo of Why Am I So Single?)<\/em><\/p>\n (Me with Collete Guitart who played Nancy)<\/p>\n (Me with Jo Foster who played Oliver)<\/p>\n Another show that I watched that informed me of this love was Cabaret<\/em>. This was a revival of the show, meaning that this show takes on a new meaning and that the creative team has a new and fresh vision for it. Despite Cabaret <\/em>being a musical theatre classic, I was not super familiar with it since I only heard songs like \u201cWillkommen,\u201d \u201cMaybe This Time,\u201d and the title song \u201cCabaret.\u201d Nonetheless, I still really enjoyed the show.<\/p>\n As soon as I entered the theater, I could not film nor take videos of anything. When I walked in, I was already immersed in the world of the show. It embodied the Kit Kat Club where a lot of the musical is set. I was walking through different hallways with different objects, music, lights, and sparkles. In one of the rooms, there was a violinist playing. In another room, a person was giving out free shots. Then, in the bar, there were dancers dancing on top of the tables so there was a lot of action going on.<\/p>\n Afterwards, I got to my seat and there were cast members interacting with the audience. Then, it was time for the show. The show starts out with the Emcee (Master of Ceremonies) singing \u201cWillkommen,\u201d welcoming us to the Cabaret along with dancers inviting us in.\u00a0 Then, it was time for Sally Bowles\u2019 show stopping numbers like \u201cDon\u2019t Tell Mama,\u201d \u201cMein Herr,\u201d and \u201cMaybe This Time.\u201d Starts out as a fun show right? Well things take a dark turn when it is revealed that one of the characters is a Nazi and that the club is connected to the regime, and he even tells Frau Schneider that she has to end her relationship with Herr Schultz since he is a Jew. Here, I started feeling uncomfortable.<\/p>\n Now, the show is not the fun musical anymore with the Emcee making Nazi references and more political unrest happening. Then, at the end, everybody conforms, wearing similar colored jackets, standing idle, and not actively fighting against the regime. This sent the message that by not speaking up against different social issues and conforming, we become the perpetrators of harmful systems.<\/p>\n The cast of this show was PHENOMENAL. Here are some of my standouts. Adam Gillen had this great charisma when playing the Emcee, getting the audience involved in the action. Additionally, I loved Katherine Langford\u2019s portrayal of Sally Bowles, fighting for what she believes in while being a diva, and her singing was remarkable with her belting and vibrato.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n (My view when I exited the tube station to go to the theater)<\/p>\n (My view on my walk to the theater)<\/p>\n (Outside of theater)<\/p>\n (Me with Katherine Langford who played Sally Bowles)<\/p>\n <\/p>\n I found this production to be very powerful because it was in the round, meaning that there were audiences on all sides of the theatre. I was fully immersed in the action and the show being in the round was effective in terms of communicating its message and making the audience uncomfortable. It made me think about the world today with how people in power just send thoughts and prayers to people affected by gun violence but don\u2019t actively put out measures to prevent it. Seeing this production, I was reminded of how I want my art to provoke people to think about the world today. I also want people to have self-awareness of social injustices that happen to minorities. As an actor, I hope to be part of a show like this someday that challenges the audience to think about the world today.<\/p>\n Through watching these two shows, I was reminded of how theatre creates community while beckoning the audience to consider the role they have in society.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Keira Biala<\/strong><\/p>\n BA Theatre<\/strong><\/p>\n London, England<\/strong><\/p>\n Interterm 2025, London Theatre Tour<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" As I was leaving London, I remember crying at the boarding gate at Heathrow Airport back to SFO, not ready […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5185,"featured_media":1623,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","ast-disable-related-posts":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"custom_author_name":"","chapman_pin_hero_slider":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[2,5],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1615","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-education-abroad","category-travel"],"yoast_head":"\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/blogs.chapman.edu\/center-for-global-education\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/79\/2025\/02\/single.jpg\")
<\/em><\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/blogs.chapman.edu\/center-for-global-education\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/79\/2025\/02\/nancy.jpg\")
<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/blogs.chapman.edu\/center-for-global-education\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/79\/2025\/02\/oliver.jpg\")
<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/blogs.chapman.edu\/center-for-global-education\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/79\/2025\/02\/ben.jpg\")
<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/blogs.chapman.edu\/center-for-global-education\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/79\/2025\/02\/walk.jpg\")
<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/blogs.chapman.edu\/center-for-global-education\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/79\/2025\/02\/outside.jpg\")
<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/blogs.chapman.edu\/center-for-global-education\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/79\/2025\/02\/sally.jpg\")
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