Spring Awakening Review
April 23, 2015 By: Jon Mihaich
Spring Awakening tells the stories of three young Germans- Melchior, Moritz, and Wendla- first early experiences with sex and sexuality.Each of these characters learns and deal with their new urges in different ways. You have Melchior, who thinks he knows everything about sex but doesn’t understand any of it; Moritz, who meets this newfound confusion with fear and panic; and Wendla; the ignorant and innocent one who is dragged along. But even though this show focuses on these three characters it is less about them and more about youth's experiences as a whole.
The show utilizes an abundance of group numbers featuring either all the girls or all the boys in order to show just how universal all of these issues are. From these group numbers you get different perspectives on sex: from a boy in love with his piano teacher to an Oedipus Complex. Everyone gets a voice so you get to hear each of their stories and feel the universal hardship that they are all going through. Even though it takes a different form for each of them, even the minor characters are dealing with something that is causing them fear and anxiety. The musical numbers also do an excellent job of putting you in the minds of the characters. When characters break out into song it is their internal thoughts and so it not only seems less random but you also get to feel the characters angst in the lyrics. In songs like “Totally Fucked” and “Bitch of Living” you get to feel the anger that these young men have towards the societal system they are a part of while in songs like “The Dark I Know Well” or “The Guilty Ones” show you the sadness and confusion that the youth in the show are experiencing.
This show encapsulates the youthful experience. I saw in its characters reflections of people I knew and myself. The show reminded me of the not so distant past and solidified what the director, Bill Cunningham, told me in my interview with him- that the issues this show discusses and experiences of the youth in it are universal. Even though the show is set in Germany in the late nineteenth-century, there is no denying that the experiences of the youths in this show mirror the experiences that many youth still go through today and, if this show’s message is true, will go through forever. Bill said that he hoped that the audience would be made uncomfortable by certain parts of the show and I would say that he succeeded in that intent. There are many comedic moments throughout the show that are related to sex, but when moments turn somber, the show can make you twist in your seat. This show depicts scenes of beating and suicide that made me feel real anger and at times even anxiousness for the scene to end. Sex throughout the show is also portrayed in a negative light, contrary to how it is often portrayed in modern entertainment, and this makes the message hit home even more. It makes you realize that these characters really are too young to be dealing with a lot of these issues.
I would like to praise all the actors in this show for an outstanding performance. Everyone involved was honest, accurate, and realistic. I saw traits of these characters in my friends and people I knew in high school . The actors were able draw me into their characters minds and made me feel their same emotions and feeling. The musical numbers were also done fantastically well considering the small space. I would also like to praise the two actors responsible for the portrayal of all the adult characters in the show, Andy Leblanc and Elizabeth Jelinek, for being able to seamlessly portray over four different pairs of adults, all with different intentions and feelings towards the surrounding youths.
All in all, this show has been one of the most thought provoking ones I have seen while at Salem State and I look forward to whatever they do next season. Hopefully you all can go and see it before it sells out.
The last dates for Spring Awakening are April 23-25 at 7:30 pm and April 26 at 2 pm. Tickets are $15 for general admission and $10 for non-Salem State students and seniors. SSU students get in free with Clipper Card. Spring Awakening is directed by Bill Cunningham with choreography by Kate Kohler Amory and musical direction by Karen Gahagan
Contributor's Note: In addition to his play review on Spring Awakening, Jonathan Mihaich has also conducted interviews with the production's director and leads. You can find those pieces here- https://redskiesmagazinessu.wordpress.com