Taylor Mac, who plays the Emcee in PlayMakers Repertory Company’s “Cabaret,” performed a section of his work on popular music — “The 1780s” — Monday at Top of the Hill’s Back Bar.
Staff writer Elizabeth Baker spoke with Mac about his role in “Cabaret,” what people can learn from it and his inspirations.
Daily Tar Heel: What is your goal as an actor and as an artist?
Taylor Mac: I’m always trying to remind the audience of aspects of themselves — things that they’ve forgotten or buried or dismissed. In “Cabaret,” we’re dealing with World War II, the Nazis and our responsibility toward being socially conscious citizens, so that’s what I’m trying to remind them of.
Sometimes we forget that — sometimes we think, “Oh, I just want to go see a funny show.” My job isn’t to teach them, but it’s just to remind them of stuff they’ve forgotten or dismissed.
DTH: Why is it important for you to push the envelope through your performances and theatrical pursuits?
TM: What I think is important is to honor what has come before but to remind people they are in the present moment — so not to get dragged down by what has come before — then to use that information to help bring the culture forward, to inspire the audience to go out into the world and do things, and to make their own world and their own culture.
To surprise people is very important. Sometimes that looks like pushing the envelope. Surprising people opens people up and makes them feel and makes them think about things. I don’t think the theater should be comfortable — I think it should be a dangerous place. But not so dangerous that you go into a coma.
DTH: How do you come up with the elaborate costuming used in your shows?