Historical Character - Fraulein Schneider

Who are they?

The initial information given to us in the script of Cabaret is that Fraulein Schneider is a landlady who rents rooms in her large flat. (Masteroff J (1955). Cabaret. New York: Tams-witmark Music Library Inc. 43.) The next time we encounter Schneider is in Act one, Scene Three. The stage directions read: As the lights come up, Fraulein Schneider enters. She is about sixty; full of vitality, interested in everything, probably indestructible. She wears a flowered dressing gown and carpet slippers. (Masteroff J (1955). Cabaret. New York: Tams-witmark Music Library Inc. 43. Page 11)  From the description here we learn Schneider's age, the fact she is nosey and how she has a strong personality and mind. Note in the script that Schneider is the only character that has her age stated in the stage directions. Why is this? I think this could be for the actors and production team to remember that they are playing an older character in a play about the younger generation. The stage directions state that Schneider is full of vitality, vitality here meaning a vigor for life. The impression I get from this stage direction is that Schneider has had a lot of life experience; becoming wise making her indestructible. In the play Schneider owns her own flat in which she rents out rooms in order to make ends meet. In order to own a flat after the war she must have had some money. Perhaps before the war Schneider lived there as a lady of leisure living off rich parents. However in the script Schneider reminisces about when her rooms were full of persons of real quality. (Masteroff J (1955). Cabaret. New York: Tams-witmark Music Library Inc. 43. Page 11) Therefore I think that she has always rented out rooms maybe to people of hierarchy in the army. The fall of Germany after the war may be the reason as to why she now rents out every room in the flat in order to make enough money to pay for the flat. I think that this would give her life experience. Also her appearance would have changed if she no longer has people of importance staying in her flat. Before, she would have wanted to impress the lodgers that were coming to stay because they were people of social quality, now however she is welcoming guests to the flat in her dressing gown and slippers. 

From the description we find out the Schneider is 'interested in everything'. I find this easy to believe because she is letting people in to her home therefore she will want to know everything she can about this character. I think that she also keeps an interest in things because she wants to make sure that everything is in order, so that she herself won't get in trouble with the government for the actions of others. In Act one, Scene Seven we see an example of how Schneider is nosey when she catches Fraulein Kost with a sailor. 'You think i do not know what goes on here?..God only knows what the neighbours must think i have here.' (Masteroff J (1955). Cabaret. New York: Tams-witmark Music Library Inc. 43. Page 33) Schneider observes what happens in the flat day to day, this could be from where she is cleaning all the time so she has time to look around and listen to what is happening behind the closed doors of her lodgers. From this quote we also find out that Schneider is proud as she cares about what the neighbours will think of her. She won't have her name tainted for the sake of another. The indestructible description of Schneider proves that she is strong and not one to be messed with. The character is forward in asking for what she wants however this is not always achieved. When Schnieder has a run in with Kost about the sailors, Kost manages to worm her way out of having to give up seeing the sailors. This makes Schneider angry and shows a motherly side, with Schneider stating 'I have put my foot down!' (Masteroff J (1955). Cabaret. New York: Tams-witmark Music Library Inc. 43. Page 34) I think that Schneider could possibly feel a maternal instinct towards the younger ladies and gentlemen that come to stay because she has no children of her own. Therefore, I think they compensate which is why she is protective over them and what they do. 

The costume suggests that the meeting between Schneider and Cliff could be early morning. Perhaps she has just woken up and the dressing gown and slippers were most convenient at the time. It could be that she was in the middle of getting ready to welcome new guests, or she could have been cleaning. Because she doesn't have anybody to impress as the guests aren't people of importance maybe she feels like she doesn't need to dress up. Perhaps she cleans in carpet slippers for comfort. The carpet slippers would have made Schneider shuffle across the floor in a typical old lady mannerism. Furthermore the carpet slippers create the image in my head of a geisha walking around in small shoes. The flowery dressing gown reminds me of the kimono's geisha's wear. This costume also adds femininity to a character who comes across as a woman in power and control.