SEE IT: Authenticity and timeliness elevate Monumental’s already strong “Spring Awakening”
When I was younger, I dismissed Spring Awakening as merely a clunky, depressing musical about angsty teens and sex. (Which isn’t entirely wrong, but it unfairly belittles its complexity and artistry.) After seeing two productions (a 2014 college production and Round House’s in 2020), I told myself I did not need to see another.
Well, I did see another. And as they say, the third time’s the charm.
This crucial tale of young people is best served with the younger generations at the helm, and it could not be in better hands than with Monumental Theatre Company. Although, like the musical itself, the production has clunky moments, it excels by being exquisitely designed, smartly staged, and wonderfully cast, becoming my favorite iteration of Spring Awakening to date.
Let’s set the scene: in late 19th century Germany, a group of adolescent students are reaching a breaking point between what they do not yet understand and what they are being kept purposely ignorant of. Wendla (Annie Graninger) is curious and naïve about love, romance, and intimacy. Moritz (Trenton Beavers) is coming undone by his sexual urges and the demands from school and home. The eager and mature Melchior (Aidan Joyce) is frustrated by society’s restrictions on knowledge of all kinds (sexual, philosophical, etc). Along with their school comrades, each find their own way to challenge the status quo, discovering their own intellectual and sexual identities, no matter the risks.
I was not surprised that Monumental would produce this musical, but I am thoroughly impressed with their perfect timing. As I sat watching these 19th century teens revolt against their parents and adult superiors on the harmful restrictions of their education, I was shocked by the parallels to our current sociopolitical rifts: parental rights in education; bans or limits on the teaching of sexuality, reproductive health, gender, and race; the consequences of overturning Roe v. Wade; and more. This 2006 musical, itself an adaptation of Frank Wedekind’s 1891 play, may be more piercingly relevant than ever before. Insightfully on the pulse of our nation’s issues, Monumental’s production may be the most important of our area’s current offerings for audiences to see.
At first glance upon entering the black box theatre of Episcopal High School’s Ainslie Arts Center, I was underwhelmed by the design. The set was by far the most simplistic and bare of any Spring Awakening I have seen. However, the magic happens once the show begins. One of the strongest elements of this entire production is the harmonious relationship between Laura Valenti’s scenic design and Doug DelPizzo’s lighting design, repeatedly producing strikingly impressive visuals. Valenti’s set is surprisingly versatile in its simplicity, able to evoke locales of an esteemed educational institution, a church, various homes, and the outdoors. The crumbling stone-like walls and lancet windows, with exposed wooden framework being overtaken by greenery, was a beautiful symbolic representation of the play itself. DelPizzo’s lighting design transforms the neutrality of the set with excellent variety, elevating every scene with stunningly expressive intensity. To twist a phrase, an ounce of atmosphere is worth a pound of props and furniture. And to further prove my original impressions wrong, little did I know that directly behind the set, where there is barely any room, was a live band! For some reason, I thought Monumental would use backing tracks, particularly due to size limitations. But they made it happen, and the band sounded perfect.
The production, and its vision as a whole, is refreshingly stripped back. Other iterations of Spring Awakening have been heavily over-designed and conceptualized, frequently infusing the performances with punk rocker energy and visuals. In my UnProfessional Opinion, Monumental’s production more successfully serves the story by focusing on these characters as the adolescent students that they are, and the reality of their situations, without being hyper-theatricalized. For once I see them as real teenagers, due to Darnell Morris’ unembellished costume design, the refined casting, and Megan Bunn’s smart directorial vision.
What I appreciate most is that Bunn made each character of this ensemble musical feel important and individualized. If you are not Melchior, Wendla, or Moritz, it is easy to fade in the background, but Bunn gave weight to every storyline. In moments between characters, relationships were well-defined with effective blocking. Whenever the entire ensemble was together, the staging was electric and compelling, which is so challenging to accomplish with 13 performers in a small playing space. The best part of the show was the visionary “Touch Me” sequence, further invigorated by Ahmad Maaty’s economical, razor-sharp choreography.
Where the production falters is with private character moments, particularly the opening number “Mama Who Bore Me”, “The Dark I Know Well”, and “Don’t Do Sadness”. These revealing, introspective songs are great opportunities to play, for characters to let everything go, but it appears that perhaps Bunn wanted the songs to do all the work, having the reserved soloists just park and bark. For example, in the opening number, Wendla just sings, with no blocking or character business, after which the audience did not applaud because nothing really happened. Or in “The Dark I Know Well”, Martha (Gabrielle Rice) stands and sings downstage while Ilse (Teralin Jones) sits and watches on the platform upstage, waiting patiently as if for a cue (which eventually comes via a character voiceover). All of these actors are remarkable singers, but in these solo moments, I craved the storytelling and theatricality that these songs are designed for.
From singing to dancing to acting, Bunn has assembled a fantastic cast. Annie Graninger is perfection as the earnest Wendla. I was mesmerized by her beautifully authentic, girl-next-door naïveté, especially during her private scenes with Melchior. Graninger found great nuance in Wendla’s fright and curiosity, delivering a stunning emotional breakdown in the final act, as her entire being was shattered. Aidan Joyce was captivating as the resilient, grounded Melchior. He found great balance in Melchior’s mature hunger for knowledge and youthful rebellious urges. Joyce’s voice has stunning tone, enriching each of his songs — his Melchoir directs us, “Watch me, just watch me,” as if we weren’t already hooked! However, Joyce frequently sabotages his performance by not projecting in the quieter, more intimate moments (an easy yet vital fix). Together, Graninger and Joyce ground this production with heartwarming sincerity.
Possibly the most difficult role in the show, this production’s vision for Moritz left me wanting. Frequently, Spring Awakening’s angst is centralized with Moritz, and I am glad this production did not minimize him to just that. However, despite Trenton Beavors’ beautiful emotional connection, his character trajectory was rather subdued, further hindered by the somewhat bland directorial choice for his climatic scene. As mentioned previously, this production’s weak point is introspection, and with two powerful solos, it is not surprising that the portrayal of Moritz suffers, regardless of Beavors’ strong abilities.
The entire ensemble was excellent, especially some scene-stealing moments from Kenny Carter’s Georg or Cam Shegogue’s Hanschen. Although I may be biased, I cannot help but be impressed with one of my Callbacks, Ryan Sellers. As the variety of Adult Male’s characters, Sellers was distinctly versatile. As the teacher, he was slyly ruthless in dominating the classroom. He peppered in quite a bit of comedy as well, especially in scenes with Molly Rumberger as the school officials, campily pivoting and over-emphasizing each other’s names. I was rolling in my seat as he played Hanschen’s father, annoyed and disgusted by Hanschen fooling around with himself in the bathroom. And at the funeral scene, Sellers delivered a heartbreaking portrayal of grief, beautifully moving the entire audience to tears. Although you are not meant to side with the adults in this show, you yearned for any moment Sellers was onstage.
Spring Awakening is very good — strong concept, smart songs — but its flaws always stick out to me. Its plot is not structured as well as it could be, especially the end, and scenes somewhat come forth with little transition. And many will disagree with me, but I cannot stand “The Song of Purple Summer.” But still, it is affecting without being indulgently moody. I’m curious to see a production that can smooth out the musical’s rough spots, but until then, I am satisfied that Monumental presented the story more authentically. Instead of an angsty teen sex rock musical, it shines more as a teenage revolt against an oppressive status quo, echoing the issues we currently face in the United States. For me, that is a huge win, and I am so glad I gave this musical one more chance. It is my UnProfessional Opinion that you SEE Spring Awakening at Monumental Theatre Company.
Spring Awakening
Music by Duncan Sheik, Book and Lyrics by Steven Sater
Directed by Megan Bunn
Monumental Theatre Company
June 30 — July 24, 2023
