Review: SPRING AWAKENING at Castle Craig Players

On Saturday, July 27th, I had the pleasure of seeing SPRING AWAKENING as put on by the Castle Craig Players at the Almira F. Stephan Memorial Playhouse in Meriden, CT. The stellar acting, singing, lighting, and choreography draws the audience right in.  The talented vocalists and skilled musicians combine to create the melancholy and ominous feel behind the music written by Duncan Sheik, with book and lyrics by Steven Slater, setting the tone of the story in a way that captivates the audience and reveals the deep and dark feelings of the characters. The song, "I Believe," a full ensemble number at the end of the first act showcases particularly strong harmonies.  Director Oliver Kochol, musical director Jill Brunelle, and choreographer Todd Santa Maria combine their skills to help bring out the best in this highly talented cast.

The story, set in 1890s Germany, is relevant and highly thought provoking from a modern American perspective. This musical centers on a group of teenagers who are given a strict set of rules and expectations, but from parents and teachers who are dismissive of the teenagers' valid feelings and curiosity, and in some cases outright abusive towards the teenagers.  Despite making a pretense of Christianity, the adults fail to tell the youths about the God who loves them and wants what is best for them, while the adults also fail to model God's love towards the teenagers. These youths are made to feel ashamed of their awakening sexual desires.  They are never told about a personal relationship with Jesus, nor about God's grace that would enable them to control their awakening feelings in a responsible and morally sound manner that respects the opposite gender and honors their future marriage. The teens are never given the example of the beauty of a loving relationship between two people whose courtship and then marriage show trust and obedience to the all-loving and all-knowing God. Thus, the rebellious youth backlash becomes an obvious consequence of a poor upbringing that places rules ahead of love, and a bad education system that places a stronger focus on the reputation of the school, than on giving the students what they truly need.

All the adult male roles are performed by Mark Gilchrist, while all the adult female roles are performed by Becky Rodia Schoenfeld.  It is very impressive how they both successfully pull off a plethora of characters and costume changes. 

The central male protagonist, a teenager named Melchior, exemplifies the mindset of someone who has thoroughly rejected authority and truth, fancying himself to have life figured out on his own, yet unknowingly lives in submission to his own sexual desires, a trend that is all too prominent among disenfranchised youth, today, and always destructive to their own lives, to the lives of those around them, and to society at large.  Sadly, there are many adults today who are also blind to the inescapable  reality that  the sinful nature of mankind renders it impossible for people to create utopia.  Any such attempt will not only fail, but leave a bloodbath in its wake.  This story shows by example that mindsets like that of Melchior when put into action will only yield pain, destruction, and death.  The show furthermore shows that revolutionaries who try to defy the created order in their ill-fated quest for utopia generally tend to be narcissistic sexual predators whose pretense of caring for the poor and marginalized is nothing but an attempt to control them and diabolically use them as means to an end.  Actor Hunter Smith brings Melchior to life in a realistic way that will undoubtedly invoke emotion from audience members.

The most profound line was delivered by the lead female character, Wendla, "What serves each of us best is what serves all of us best."  Wendla is a character who shows naivety without ditziness, a rare personality for fictional teenage female characters, which makes actress Jocelyn Titus’ convincing portrayal of Wendla all the more impressive.  Wendla’s vulnerability to the predatory ways of Melchior is a direct result of Wendla having a mother who stupidly believed that keeping Wendla ignorant of the cunning and seductive ways of selfish boys will also keep her immune to being harmed by them. 

Actress Jennifer Del Sole provides yet another first-rate performance in the supporting role of Ilse.  Expository dialogue provides the back story that Ilse had run away.  A powerful musical number shows that Ilse was being sexually abused at home, as is another teenage character named Martha, who is excellently performed by Coleman Toomey.  When Ilse is shown again, it is clear that she has been a victim of further abuse, after she has run away from home.  It is clear that her abuse has also led to some serious emotional distress.

The most powerful scene involves teenager Moritz who was excellently portrayed by Mason Andrew. Moritz was trying to converse with his father about his grades, only to be aggressively slapped across the face, as Moritz continued to try in vain to gain approval and acceptance from his father who would have none of it. The proximity of the actors and totally believable reactions from Moritz, including crying, invoke strong feelings of sympathy and genuine concern for Moritz.

Ethan Bazinet, Nick Ciasullo, Katie Kirtland, Stephen Koehler, Finn Lambert, Katerina Levasseur, Ella Miller, Kate Stango, Samantha Storm, and Henry Tobelman all contribute their tremendous acting, singing, and dancing skills to this production.

SPRING AWAKENING is scheduled to continue to run through August 11, 2024. I highly recommend this play, but for mature adult audiences only, as there is a lot of profanity, sexual content, and a lack of positive solutions offered to teenagers who struggle with emotional pain. For mature adults who are into darkly themed entertainment done well, you will find that this play will exceed your expectations with strong acting and vocal performances from a talented cast of people who clearly enjoy being a part of this brilliantly presented production.  For times and tickets, please go to https://castlecraigplayers.org/.

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