BWW Reviews: TheaterUCF's SPRING AWAKENING Hits Home

The suicide of a University of Central Florida student that made national headlines this week, makes this production of SPRING AWAKENING eerily timed, but a necessary discussion. Meant to provoke discussion about taboos like sex, abortion, homosexuality, child abuse, and suicide, the show is edgy and modern.

Based off a play by Wedekind, SPRING AWAKENING, a tragic story of a small conservative German town, where dissatisfied angsty teens face issues that modern-day teens face. Parents wish their children will be good, stay in school, and be abstinent. As teenagers often do, they struggle to find their own identity even if it means questioning everything. The message for all is that communication is key. Not talking at people, but having real conversation about truth, and true feelings.

The story is told with the music of Duncan Sheik spersed throughout. In some musicals, the songs further the story, here the music seems to reflect the emotions of a previous scene. Its alternative rock style was sung well by the cast. The choreography was modern and fit well adding additional rhythm to the rock score.

There are a number of faults with the story, which strains to point out so many social issues. In an effort to fit it all, there are dangling plot lines and assumption leaps that are hard to follow. There is a risk that directors take when breaking the fourth wall. Either it adds to the performance or it distracts from the story. In this case, the audience is forced to look around the auditorium, sometimes turning completely around to find the random backup singers throughout the theater, while looking away from the awesome on-stage choreography.

Jesse Hinton stars as the angsty Melchoir, who is too intelligent to let the man put him down. Hinton plays the role well, as both a rebel and confused teenager. Melchoir was raised by "liberal" parents who give him the freedom of information including the details of female and male anatomy, which comes in handy later. With great knowledge comes great responsibility.

In contrast, Wendla is a sweet and incredibly naive girl. Like many characters in this town, she is raised to do well in school, but not to ask questions. When she asks her mother, "where do babies come from?" she is given an simplified water-down answer. Wendla serves as a view into the life of a teen who lives a too sheltered life. Without information people make uneducated decisions that lead to terrible consequences. Deanna Quintero portrays Wendla's sweet unknowingness convincingly. Quintero blossoms the quaint child into a sexually curious adult, even baring her chest for the audience.

The standout performer is John DeLisa as Moritz, who transforms from troubled student to a crazed suicidal person. After failing out of school, unable to release sexual tension, and disappointing his father, Moritz decides that there is not much more to life and kills himself. DeLisa is a rockstar using Sheik's music as an outlet for his character's troubled life. Also of note are the adult performers Kate Ingram, who is a professor at UCF; and Mark Brotherton. The pair play all the adults in the show and provide much needed comedy.

Weighing the consequences between teaching children too much and sequestering information, SPRING AWAKENING's moral is that conversation is key. In our world where communication happens at the speed of texts and tweets, it is easy to miss meaningful conversation. Sex, curiosity, unknown futures are issues faced by all students, but suicide and the consequences of ignoring meaningful conversation especially touch the lives of UCF students.

Directed by UCF alum Joshua Chase Gold, SPRING AWAKENING stars Jesse Hinton as Melchior, Deanna Quintero as Wendla, John DeLisa as Moritz, Kate Ingram as Adult Women, and Mark Brotherton as Adult Men. Also includes Jerusha Cavazos as Martha, Leigh Green as Thea, Catie Pires-Fernandes as Anna, Jessica Booth as Ilse, David Allen Weiland III as Hanschen, Peter Bernard as Ernst, Parker Slaybaugh as Georg, and Derik Lawson as Otto.

For more information visit http://theatre.cah.ucf.edu/.

Photo Credit: TheatreUCF

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