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I write in response to the Aug. 19 letter from P.T. Parlow of Middletown ("Why is 24/7 Dance Studio doing ‘Cabaret?'"). I directed the production and was, to be frank, shocked by your letter.

To the best of my knowledge, you did not come and see our show. I think it is harsh to judge a production and our choices based solely on a picture. If you have ever seen "Cabaret" (no, not the movie, but the actual stage show itself) you would know that the show does anything but glorify overt pansexuality.

The stage show not only depicts the doomed relationship between Sally and Cliff, two young people searching for light in the interim period between World War I and II, but also emphasizes the relationship between the older couple, Frau Schneider and Herr Schultz, a story that brings in the tragedy of the Holocaust and the way Jews were treated in Nazi Germany.

Even if you did not see our production, if you had read the article in its entirety you would have seen that we took very special precautions before even casting by making the Emcee a girl in order to rid the show of some of its more exuberant sexuality.

Now, to answer your question: No, our goal is not to introduce theater to every pedophile in Frederick County. Our goal is to teach our campers about theater in the real world, to teach them to grow as people and as actors, and to invite the community out to see how our campers have grown and to show the community how talented our students really are.

The show, despite its sexual undertones (and let me emphasize that they were undertones in our production), teaches a plethora of valuable lessons. "Cabaret" teaches you to treat others with kindness always, to not get mixed up in drugs, and it teaches about a monumental time in our world history, all of which are emphasized over top of the not-so glamorous life that the club girls live.

I could not be more proud of how these kids, ranging from 13 to 18, managed to handle the very difficult material of "Cabaret" not only with the necessary reverence, but also with the maturity of a professional all-adult cast.

I'm terribly sorry you missed this production. It was well worth your time, and I think that it's a shame that you judged it so harshly based solely on a picture.

Joseph Mannarino, New Market

The writer directed 24/7 Dance Studio's production of "Cabaret," and is the son of James Mannarino, president/publisher of The Gazette.