Review: SPRING AWAKENING by Arts Bonita Actors Theatre

SPRING AWAKENING by Arts Bonita Actors Theatre, directed by Kody C Jones, tells the heartbreaking, bittersweet story of teenagers coming of age and dealing with every struggle that comes with it. 

Melchior was played by Lucas Campero, and Wendla was played by Lyndi Floyd-Sweet. Both of these young actors were spectacular. They embodied these characters perfectly, and had incredible vocal talent. Each did a wonderful job portraying their relationship. Moritz, the other friend in this trio, was played by Michael Shelley, who was also excellent. His struggle is so painful to watch, but so powerful, and Shelley did a great job portraying this. Another prominent relationship in the show is between Hanschen (Eric Ortiz) and Ernst (Matthew Eakins). I also thought they were spectacular and did a great job showing the personalities of their characters. Another standout to me was Sophia Gurule as Ilse. Her story is so heartbreaking, and Gurule beautifully portrayed that. The rest of the cast was dynamic, strong, and incredibly talented. Each of these performers were so captivating, and they all had impressive acting and vocal skills. From "Mama Who Bore Me" to "My Junk," "The Guilty Ones," and beyond, each number was captivating, entertaining, and powerful. 

This production was directed by Kody C Jones (who was also the Fight Choreographer and Co-Set Designer), alongside Music Director Rosalind Metcalf, Choreographer Sarah Drummer, Intimacy Director/Artist Mental Health Coordinator Lusie Cuskey, Costume Designer Danielle Black, Lighting Designer Anne Carncross, Sound Designer and Co-Set Designer Joseph Brauer, Props Artisan Lyndi Floyd-Sweet, and more. I really enjoyed each aspect of this production. It was all done incredibly well - the costumes were so fitting for this production, the lighting was perfect, the choreography was fantastic, and the music and singing were so powerful; the harmonies were beautiful. 

SPRING AWAKENING by Arts Bonita Actors Theatre was a wonderful production. It was done so well, and it is so impressive that most members of the cast are high school and college students. This production was full of talent. This show is very heavy, dark, and emotional, and it can be very tough to portray these characters, so I commend each actor for doing such a great job with it. I also appreciate that Arts Bonita had a Mental Health Coordinator for the cast.

Though SPRING AWAKENING is closed, Arts Bonita has some exciting productions coming up. I recommend checking them out here: 

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