“Spring Awakening” is a coming-of-age rock musical with music by Duncan Sheik and written by Steven Sater. It originally comes from the 1891 German play Spring Awakening by Frank Wedekind. It’s a show centered on adolescent kids growing up and facing the harshness of the real world. I touch on a lot of darker and taboo content that often comes hand in hand with growing up and discovering yourself. These subjects are usually avoided around kids and those still developing because it requires maturity and can be uncomfortable. What people fail to realize is that many young people still deal with these sorts of problems in their lives but they are not able to openly discuss them and get advice from peers and adult
That itself the reason I think this show can have a big impact on a community. Throughout the show, the main characters struggle to be heard, be taken seriously, and with adults who think they know better. Our youth deal with problems of teenage pregnancy, sexuality, mental health, and growing up whether we discuss them or not. By avoiding these discussions we are not “shielding” our children from these harsh topics but instead abandoning them to figure it out themselves, without clear support or advice. This show can help to destigmatize these issues within a local community and foster a more open dialogue between young people and their seniors.
While many people would still prefer to ignore a show that addresses domestic abuse, abortion, and suicide among repressed youth, that in itself is a position of privilege. Those in positions of power and authority must listen to the needs of those around them and work actively to dismantle inequality and analyze their privilege. One of the most impactful and important parts of theatre is empathy. We need to put on shows that raise awareness about issues that those without the privilege of influence face. It is especially important when talking about our youth, the generation that will take over positions of power and change the world in the future.
This production will include a pre-show that provides trigger warnings on explicit content for the audience and I would like to include a few short, anonymous, personal stories from people in the community who have dealt with or are dealing with similar struggles in their path of growing up and self-discovery. I think that starting with this it will cause the audience to connect much more deeply with the characters and understand the struggles of growing up and the struggles they’ve been through. If this show has the opportunity to tour other areas I want to change the opening confessions to people from the local area. When conceptualizing community theatre pieces I think crafting a deeper connection within a local community is one of the most powerful things you can do.
I would like to keep ticket prices low, in the $5-10 range, and offer free/discounted tickets for youth and those that work with our youth. Educational institutions, namely high schools and colleges, are responsible for their students’ growth during a fundamental time in their lives and should dedicate more time and resources to fostering a positive and open environment to raise youth to be not only successful in their careers, but also successful in their personal life. Compensation for those that work on the show will be provided since they are devoting valuable time and energy to this project. I’d like to increase the show budget through donations and grants from educational or youth activist organizations. This show will serve as a learning opportunity for those working on it and those in the audience.
A post-show piece that will be included is a more in-depth talkback with the cast and creative team on their personal feelings about the show and what they learned in the process and their own lives. This will be offered specifically to youth organizations and schools that are dedicated to improving critical discussion about such topics in their spaces. This will help craft a safe space for sharing and learning through the turbulent times of growing up and approaching adulthood.
For the creative team and cast, I am looking for a diverse group of high school to undergrad students with a passion for theatre. I would like to also hire mentors who work in the educational and theatre field to help along the way but I want to focus on curating a musical by and for our youth. It can serve as an opportunity for students to learn and become leaders in their community. I think this will also help keep the show feeling authentic and honest with the content because it has been put together by people that are still very in touch with the feeling of self-discovery.
“Spring Awakening” is a show that lends itself to inspiring deep and meaningful discussion between people and I want to embrace this in a more educational setting. It will be controversial and take a lot of hard work and advocacy but ingraining discussion of these topics into our schools will help grow a more healthy and communicative body of students. This can branch into their future and hopefully inspire a brighter future for our up-and-coming leaders and innovators.