This year, on September 27, Spectacle Theatre’s Cabaret Night at Princeton High School kicked off the academic year with a variety of performances. Held at the Black Box Theater, this annual event serves as a creative showcase for students to express their artistic talents. The event is not only a set of performances, but also a celebration of artistic expression and the PHS community spirit.

“[Cabaret Night] is just a way for us to start the year with a performance that gathers everyone together. The ticket sales will be a fundraiser for Spectacle Theatre,” said Julianna Krawiecki, PHS’s drama teacher. “[The fundraiser will] go towards the expenses throughout the year, [such as] helping pay for costumes, buying paint and lumber to build set pieces, or the rights to the shows that we do throughout the year.”

Luke Gitterman ’25, the House Manager and co-emcee for Cabaret Night, expressed his excitement for the evening.

“We do this opening Cabaret Night every year, usually at the end of September. It’s a fantastic way for everyone to come back and show off their talents, whether they’re returning students or newcomers,” Gitterman said.

Gitterman, along with Noa Zacks ’25, the President of Spectacle Theatre, introduced each act during Cabaret Night, while keeping the audience engaged. Additionally, Gitterman’s responsibilities included managing tickets and organizing the theater, while Zacks helped to coordinate the performance schedule to make the event transition smoothly.

Cabaret Night has become a cherished tradition at PHS, evolving over the years and becoming a highlight of PHS’s arts calendar. This year’s event featured a variety of performances, including scenes, songs, and monologues, that highlight the hard work of the Spectacle Theatre.

Preparation for Cabaret Night began early in the school year. The performers started by choosing what they were going to present to the audience.

“The cabaret night is nice, because you get to pick your own material and really do what you want. If there’s a song you’ve been yearning to sing or a monologue you’ve been learning to yearning to perform, Cabaret is your time to just do what you want, because you don’t always get those opportunities,” Zacks said.

“There were monologues and scenes and songs, and unlike the productions we do at the school, it’s kind of like everybody brought their own little thing to the table,” added Anna Kaufman ’26.

After pieces were chosen, there was a long process of rehearsing and working with Krawiecki on refining their performances.

“I work with my voice teacher and my acting coach on choices both vocally and physically to really try to embody the character and immerse myself in the world because we don’t have a set or costumes so we just need to make the world around us,” Kaufman said.

Spectacle Theatre officers have the most work to do, because they handle all the logistics, while also running the lights and sound during the event.

“The officers advertise it to the community and offer the opportunity to more students. They help put together the repertoire, the accompaniment list, [they] schedule when people are going to come in and do a rehearsal, and design a poster and a program,” Krawiecki said.

While the Spectacle Theatre’s routine school productions have a lengthy audition process, Cabaret Night allows any student to perform, as long as it’s related to theater.

“I really wanted to do a duet with my close friend It’s our junior year we only have one more chance after this cabaret,” said Kaufman, who sang “In a Crowd of Thousands” from “Anastasia” with Konrad Hedges ’26.

“A lot of it is just you do it with your friends, and it’s a great way to build community and get to know people that you don’t,” added Zacks.

“It’s a lot more laid back, and it really bridges this connection between the community, people that love theater, and the actors. All of the other shows [are] very organized; there’s not a lot of connection with the audience other than the story that’s being told. The audience gets to know you. You get to know your audience based [on] how they react,” Zacks said.

During Cabaret Night, students also have more opportunities to demonstrate their leadership skills, instead of simply following a teacher’s directions.

“For [other Spectacle Theatre productions], they’re teacher-led. [However], for Cabaret Night, the club leaders lead the whole event,” said Krawiecki. “I’m there to help them get from point A to the finish line, but it’s overseen by the Spectacle Theater officers.”

Konrad Hedges ’26, a performer at Cabaret Night has expressed his appreciation for the event. “[Cabaret Night] is nothing but support and love, and you get to share your talent and really just have fun in a group of people that will support and nurture the talent that you bring to the Cabaret,” Hedges said.