Spring Awakening
Spring Awakening
Based on the play by Frank Wedekind
Books & Lyrics by Steven Sater
Music by Duncan Sheik
Directors Brian MacDevitt, Sara Pearson and Patrik Widrig
Music Director William Yanesh
March 7 & 8: Expect parking and traffic delays due to a wrestling event at the nearby Cole Field House.
Event Attributes
Presented By
Spring Awakening is based on a controversial 1891 play by German playwright Frank Wedekind, which was banned for a time in Germany because of its frank portrayal of abortion, homosexuality, rape, child abuse and suicide.
The rock musical caused a sensation when it premiered on Broadway in 2006. Set in late 19th-century Germany, it tells the story of teenagers discovering the inner and outer tumult of sexuality.
Alternative and folk-infused rock music capture and reflect the emotional essence of the timeless experience of coming of age.
SPRING AWAKENING is presented through special arrangement with Music Theatre International (MTI). All authorized performance materials are also supplied by MTI. 421 West 54th Street, New York, NY 10019; Phone: 212-541-4684; Fax: 212-396-4684; www.MTIShows.com.
Review by Maryland Theatre Guide
Depressing themes and disjointed plot line aside, this show is worth seeing if not only for the well-executed collaboration between the arts and the unabashedly catchy tunes, but also for inspiring the question we’ve all been avoiding: 'How much have things really changed?'
— MAYA OLIVER, Maryland Theatre Guide, March 2, 2014
Review by DC Metro TheaterArts
The extreme collaboration between director, designer, and artist has made for a weird and wonderful piece. The directors have definitely made this their own, filled with supreme attention to detail and otherworldly metaphor backed by a design fighting between the outside paradise and the decaying classroom.
—JESSICA VAUGHAN, DC Metro TheaterArts, March 1, 2014
Photos by Brightest Young Things
View Brightest Young Things' photos from the production.
Storybooth video with cast and crew
Visit our Facebook page to hear from cast and crew about the issues explored in Spring Awakening and how their roles convey the play's message.
Preview by The Diamondback
Spring Awakening…merges dancing and acting while touching not only on sexual themes but also several others: questioning a modern society controlled by patriarchal figures. Rebellion. Morality and truth. The pleasure of sex and the elements our society chooses to keep secret.
— BEENA RAGHAVENDRAN, The Diamondback, February 27, 2014
Preview by DC Metro Theater Arts
By featuring directors with backgrounds in lighting design and dance, Spring Awakening reflects the intersectionality of design and performance in theatre.
'It’s a different thing for us to do here, and I think it’s exciting and breaks boundaries of what people think design is,' [lighting designer Rob] Denton said, adding that [director Brian] MacDevitt’s experience with lighting design gives him a unique perspective as a director. 'He’s not afraid of making a change and experimenting with things, which I think is part of theatre.'
— EMILY SCHWEICH, DCMetro TheaterArts, February 19, 2014
Preview by The Gazette
'We’re trying to make a real, concerted effort to make them real people and not two-dimensional cartoon characters which you might find in other musicals,' [director Brian] MacDevitt said. '[The cast] been great. They feel like they’re in a really safe place and they have a lot of freedom to explore. They are finding real moments in sometimes challenging scenes.'
— WILL C. FRANKLIN, The Gazettes, February 25, 2014