A&E
Preview: Hamilton College Theatre Department presents Spring Awakening
By Olivia Paradice ’18
April 14, 2016
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Set in 19th century Germany, Spring Awakening tells the story of a group of teenagers struggling through the turmoil of their burgeoning sexuality. The original play is known for touching on topics that are still relevant and controversial over 100 years after it was written, such as teenage pregnancy, the power struggle between teenagers and adults and the suppression of sexuality. The musical takes this subject matter and 19th century timeframe and sets it to a soundtrack that mixes folk and alternative rock with surprisingly effective results. The musical opens at Hamilton College this weekend, the first musical to be performed by the Hamilton College Theatre Department in a very long time.
One of the major themes of Spring Awakening is the way in which adults end up suppressing children in an attempt to “protect” them. All of the adult characters in the show—parents, teachers and priests alike—are traditionally played by two actors, one man and one woman. In the Hamilton College production, the adult women are portrayed by two actors, Allie Schuette ’16 and Noelani Stevenson ’19, while the adult men are all portrayed by Andrew Gibeley ’16.
Unlike the adult characters, the child characters are all played by different actors. Megan Gehan ’18 plays Wendla, a 14-year old girl who tries her best to understand the world around her, but is kept naïve by her domineering and religious mother. Her counterpoint is Melchoir, played by Matt Reinemann ’17, a headstrong young boy who knows much more about these forbidden subjects than his peers. Cynical and a self-proclaimed atheist, Melchoir is the main source of much of the rebellion in the musical. His best friend, Moritz, played by Charlie Wilson ’16, eventually falls victim to his overwhelming confusion about his sexual feelings and the intense pressure from his parents to succeed.
Caitlin Kennedy ’16 plays Martha, a young girl who is abused by her father but keeps much of her story to herself. Ilse, a former classmate of the other characters who is now homeless, played by Caitlin McQuade ’18, has a symbolic role for several of the other characters. For Martha, she serves as warning as to what may happen to her if she speaks out about her abuse. For Moritz, she represents his last chance for to escape the oppressive society that surrounds him.
Needless to say, the musical deals with some heavy subject matter. However, Spring Awakening is not a show that allows its heavy topics to weigh it down. As the characters of the show do their best to rebel against their repressive society, the music follows suit. Featuring numbers such as “The Bitch of Living” and “My Junk,” Spring Awakening addresses its subject matter with energetic musical numbers that pull no punches. Indeed, between its highly anachronistic soundtrack and the rebellious nature of both its characters and musical numbers, Spring Awakening is a show that lends itself to high-energy performances.
Ambitious and challenging, Spring Awakening seems like a wonderful way to reintroduce musical theatre to the Hamilton College stage. With its relevant subject matter and musical numbers that range from melancholic to exhilarating, it is bound to be a can’t-miss performance, and one that is sure to get the campus talking.