Spring Awakening

Spring Awakening
Based on the play by Frank Wedekind
Books & Lyrics by Steven Sater
Music by Duncan Sheik

February 28 - March 8, 2014
Spring Awakening
Principal People: 

Directors Brian MacDevitt, Sara Pearson and Patrik Widrig

Music Director William Yanesh

Special Announcement: 

March 7 & 8: Expect parking and traffic delays due to a wrestling event at the nearby Cole Field House.

Event Attributes

Venue: 
Estimated Length: 
2 hours and 15 minutes including intermission
Audience Advisory: 
Recommended for ages 17 and above
Program Notes: 

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