Spring Awakening, originally written in 1891 by Frank Wedekind and adapted more recently by Steven Sater, was performed by the theater department of Wake Forest University in the Scales Fine Arts Center on April 8th, as well as several other days that month. A play about the effects of sexual suppression faced by teenagers in a German town in the 19th century, its topics of sex, suicide, abuse, oppression, and corrupt authority are all still very relevant to the youth of today. In order to effectively portray the many complex elements of this story, this adaptation of Spring Awakening consisted of several impactful theatrical choices made by all parts of the production team including the designers, director, and actors.
While other productions …show more content…
The uneven levels brought a feeling of confusion which directly parallels the struggles of the main characters as they attempt to navigate their way from adolescence to adulthood. Even the painting of the floor had noticeable swirls and streaks; this lack of perfection reflected the uncertainty the kids felt throughout the story. Furthermore, the oppressive and lifeless sensation that the gray-scale scenery evoked set an effectively grim tone. The use of dull colors and minimalistic props reflected the raw, uncensored mood as the story addressed the bare truths about sex, abuse, and teen angst. The lighting designer, Rob Eastman-Mullins, was able to …show more content…
I feel that this choice demonstrated how in this society adults were all the same. They all belittled and neglected their children’s thoughts and disregarded their questions, oblivious to the fact that what the kids needed was support and guidance. This challenge was overcome by the aforementioned excellent performances of Michael Kamtman and Leah Roy as their various adult characters. Their accomplished acting experiences proved useful as they shifted between characters with ease through changes in mannerisms and ways of speaking, an example of which I previously mentioned. Other parts of the production team also had to help surpass this challenge, such as the costume designer who had to design outfits for the various roles they played that could be easily changed into and out of between scenes. Furthermore, stagehands had to be available backstage to assist them in the
While other productions …show more content…
The uneven levels brought a feeling of confusion which directly parallels the struggles of the main characters as they attempt to navigate their way from adolescence to adulthood. Even the painting of the floor had noticeable swirls and streaks; this lack of perfection reflected the uncertainty the kids felt throughout the story. Furthermore, the oppressive and lifeless sensation that the gray-scale scenery evoked set an effectively grim tone. The use of dull colors and minimalistic props reflected the raw, uncensored mood as the story addressed the bare truths about sex, abuse, and teen angst. The lighting designer, Rob Eastman-Mullins, was able to …show more content…
I feel that this choice demonstrated how in this society adults were all the same. They all belittled and neglected their children’s thoughts and disregarded their questions, oblivious to the fact that what the kids needed was support and guidance. This challenge was overcome by the aforementioned excellent performances of Michael Kamtman and Leah Roy as their various adult characters. Their accomplished acting experiences proved useful as they shifted between characters with ease through changes in mannerisms and ways of speaking, an example of which I previously mentioned. Other parts of the production team also had to help surpass this challenge, such as the costume designer who had to design outfits for the various roles they played that could be easily changed into and out of between scenes. Furthermore, stagehands had to be available backstage to assist them in the