PATERSON - An American in Berlin
Our exclusive interview with the director of Berlin's 'CABARET'

by SIMONE KUSSATZ, special guest writer

Simone Kussatz: Despite the interesting story and the great music, as well as having found the perfect location for it, why was it important to you to revive CABARET?

Vincent Paterson: Well. It wasn't my decision. It was the decision of the producers. It was their idea. They approached me. But I was enthusiastic about the project from the start. First, I always wanted to be in Berlin. Second, when I walked into the “Bar Jeder-Vernunft,” I was fascinated, and thought [that] this [would totally be] the place for CABARET. And third, I don't get involved with many musicals, except for the ones with deeper messages and [have] a darker edge to them, so "Cabaret" was something that intrigued me greatly.

Q: As an American, and therefore having an outsider's perspective on Germany, do you feel that Germany needs to refresh its memories about anti-Semitism?

A: No. Not necessarily. The message is bigger than that. I feel the message in this musical goes beyond the racism of national socialism. It's about discrimination and racism in many situations, whether it is the Palestinians in Israel, the Christian Right in the U.S., or intolerance towards gays.

Q: How is your perception about Berlin? I am thinking in terms of multiculturalism, relationships between different cultures, and a city with about 20,000 Jewish residents.

A: Well. I really like Berlin. I like the idea of these little neighborhoods. However, I spend the majority of my time inside the theater. Therefore I have no specifics about its political circumstances. I am fairly naive about that. Everything I know about Berlin derives from history books. I've read so much about it that I could teach a class about the Weimar period of German history.

Q: Were you concerned at all about the reaction of the media, that they would try to compare it to the film or the Broadway versions?

A: I am secure with myself as an artist. I don't think about comparisons. I believe the film to be one of the best musical films ever directed. I also enjoyed the most recent Broadway production of "CABARET." My career has been based on being an originator. I have no desire to copy anyone else. I feel I always compete with myself and that is difficult enough at times and gives me enough to consider, rather than wasting time worrying about anyone's reaction, especially the media.

Q: What was the biggest challenge in choreographing CABARET?

A: Actually, there was hardly any challenge in creating the choreography, though it was a lot of fun. Maybe using the tiny stage in the "Bar jeder Vernunft" was the biggest challenge of all. The directing was a challenge. Of course, one challenge was to direct it in German. For that reason I took a six-week German course to familiarize myself with the sounds of the various verbs and their endings, so that I had a sense of the language. I had to work with two scripts simultaneously, the English to my left, the German to my right. This is how I picked up most of my German. It's limited to the lines of the sentences in the play. But then it wasn't really a problem, since I have directed in French and Czech, although I don't speak those languages. I guess if you know the piece, you know what's being said in terms of the truth of the acting method. Either it works or it doesn't. Everybody was surprised that I could be so specific without speaking the language.

Q: When you see American movies or plays, the characters often use an accent, whereas Mr. Schultz, Clifford Bradshow and Sally Bowles spoke accent-free. Were you aware of that?

A: Yes, I was. I didn't want to fill the play with superfluous decorations. The story works without it. I wanted to keep the play and characters as natural as possible. Ernst Ludwig actually does use a lower class accent. Also, I did have the conferencier use different accents. Nobody should know what nationality he is. It is supposed to be a mystery, where he's from. In that sense, it all felt very organic.

Q: Do you have any German roots?

A: No. Not at all. I am English, French, Dutch, and Polish.

Q: The beautiful train on stage seems to have more meaning to it than just being the train Clifford Bradshow uses to arrive in and depart from Berlin. Is there any reference to the deportation trains that play a key role in the later part of the history of Berlin?

A: No. Not in that sense. But it does have some symbolism to it. It presents the circle of the story, and Clifford Bradshow's journey with his newly gained life experience. It also represents the whole play experience. We enter and exit the theater. The movement of a train stresses the excitement we experience while traveling. It's a symbol for what's going to happen to us during a trip. It's a reflection on our experiences.

As far as Nazi symbolism is concerned, it's not the train that leads to the gas chambers. It's not about the conferencier ending up there. The conferencier only serves as a storyteller. However, most of the trains at that time had a Nazi flag on them. The finale of the play seems to be open to the director’s interpretation. We end the play with Clifford Bradshow on the train leaving Berlin. It's the story of Clifford Bradshow, the story of a writer, after his life experience. I wanted to leave the story with a sense of hope, as literature often does. Literature teaches us how we can move on after a difficult experience, and this was the incentive for Bradshaw writing his book.

Q: Do you think if a German had directed the play, the outcome would have been different?

A: It's hard to predict something that hasn't happened. I know that the play was offered to me and I jumped at the opportunity to direct and choreograph it.

Q: I read in the press kit that you preferred working in Europe, because it provides you with more creative freedom. Can you tell us more about that?

A: This was a misinterpretation of what I said. I've been extremely fortunate in my career. I have worked with great people, who have allowed me to be as creative as possible. I love coming to Berlin and Europe, though. There is real culture here. The U.S. is not very supportive of the arts. But here I'm surrounded by culture all the time. I relish this situation. I enjoyed combining renowned actors and actresses with known actors and actresses to create a very unique ensemble. This wouldn't always be possible in the U.S. because the financial stakes are so high. Producers rarely want to take this kind of risk.

Q: I'm surprised to hear this, because I always thought that there is great support for the arts in Los Angeles. I am thinking about the Getty Museum, Disney Hall, Hollywood Bowl, Bergamot Station, or the free jazz concerts at LACMA for example.

A: These institutes you name are exceptions to the rule. First, I am speaking primarily about theater. After-school budgets have been cut, and in consequence, the experience of theater for school children vanishes. Love for the theater should be instilled from an early age. Anyone in Los Angeles will confide how difficult it is to create a theatrical production in our city. The expense, the public support, [and] the financial support of the wealthy for most theater that happens in Los Angeles is nearly non-existent. There are always generous angels who believe that the arts must thrive for the sake of "soul nourishment." But [American] government does not support the arts. Look what has happened with the NEA. Talk to any producer who tries to get even an equity-waiver show off the ground in Los Angeles. The government supports most theaters in Germany. Theaters are filled to capacity. Most Americans sit home and watch television rather than go to the theater, which unfortunately will happen even more with the deplorable condition of gasoline rate increases.

Q: Were you pleased with the performances of Christoph Marti in the role of the conferencier and Tobias Bonn in the role of Clifford Bradshaw?

A: Yes. I was very, very pleased. It's very difficult to play the part of Bradshaw. It's the driest part in the play. It takes an excellent actor to make something of this character. Christoph has been amazing. I wish I could stay another week to watch him grow with the role of the conferencier. One cannot rehearse the interaction between a conferencier with his audience. The role of the conferencier keeps changing, with every performance and with every night.

Q: I read that you were planning on doing more opera in the future? Is that a new love of yours?

A: I love new adventures. Opera is a new world/arena for me. It began with the invitation by Austrian producer, Bernard Fleischer, to direct a television/DVD project with the dazzling opera soprano Anna Netrebko. This has led to me choreographing LA Opera's "Grand Duchess" in August for director Garry Marshall. Next September I will direct my first opera, "Manon" by Massenet for LA Opera starring Anna Netrebko and Rolando Villazon. Placido Domingo will conduct. I take the opera to Berlin Staatsoper in April 2007. Sometimes I feel that "somewhere in my youth or childhood, I must have done something good."

Q: With what kind of impression will you be leaving Berlin today?

A: Well. I am sad. I really love it here. I love the people in the theater. They sort of became my Berlin family. I wish I could be here more often, and I am sad to go.

Simone Kussatz: Thank you, Mr. Paterson.