Wilbury’s Spring Awakening Is Unforgettable

Nineteenth century German Lutheran adolescents singing rock music might sound like an off-kilter premise for a musical, but throw in clever staging and universal, timeless themes, and Spring Awakening’s massive success since its opening on Broadway a decade ago is no wonder. Based on the 1891 German play of the same name by Frank Wedekind, the edginess that contributed to its success also makes it a perfect fit for the Wilbury Theatre Group as their season closer.

Spring Awakening follows a group of adolescents as they discover their sexualities and identities within the confines of a conservative, religious, authoritarian community. We first see naive and curious Wendla Bergmann (Katrina Z. Pavao) lament that her mother (Jennifer Pierel) has left her ill-prepared to handle growing up, illustrated in a conversation between the two in which Wendla asks her mother where babies come from, and her mother fails to tell her all of the facts, instead claiming that a child is conceived when a woman loves her husband with all her heart. Wendla’s friends, Martha (Jennifer Pierel), Anna (Daraja Hinds) and Thea (Maggie Papa), are equally uninformed, but nonetheless develop crushes on their male peers — most notably, the rebellious and charismatic Melchior Gabor (Diego Guevara), who ends up returning Wendla’s affections, and the two explore their sexualities in an ultimately doomed relationship. Melchior stands up for his anxious friend, Moritz (Bradley Wilson) against their strict teachers and teaches him about sex in a detailed essay complete with illustrations. Rounding out their class are Hanschen (Gunar Manchester) and Ernst (Aaron Blanck), who are each other’s love interests; Georg (Matthew Gorgone), who lusts after his older and busty piano teacher; and Otto (Nigel Richrds). Moritz experiences extreme pressure from his parents to succeed in school, but his teachers seem hell bent against letting him progress. Meanwhile, Martha admits to her friends that she faces physical and sexual abuse at the hands of her father, but is discouraged from reporting it for fear of ending up homeless like their childhood friend, Ilse (Jessie March).

This show is decidedly not for the faint of heart, with heavy references to sex, sexual assault, abuse and suicide. But for those who can stomach it, Spring Awakening is an amazing piece of theater, and this production does it every bit of justice. Though their space is somewhat small, Wilbury makes excellent use of it. One of the most notable aspects of the staging is in the portrayal of the adults, who are always elevated (sometimes on stilts) and lit from below, so the audience sees them from a child’s perspective as big and scary entities, plotting the demise of the main cast. Along with real instruments, including a violin and guitars played by members of the cast, they also use typewriters, classroom instruments and parts of the set as additional instruments to further fill out the sound. This accentuates the clash of childlike innocence with the adult nature of the subject matter, much in the same way this clash occurs within each of the characters. Perhaps the most viscerally intense moment comes at the end of act one when Wendla and Melchior first have sex. Wendla stands in the stationary middle of the main platform while the cast spins the rest of the platform. The audience is forced to feel the same way Wendla does in that moment: disoriented and overwhelmed. It is an absolutely stunning effect that had me reeling right into the intermission.

The cast is filled with excellent performances — all the more impressive considering the young cast, with some even still in high school — from funny to tragic, innocent to risque. The vocals are strong all around, though often drowned out by the instrumentation. Pavao, Guevara and Wilson in particular stand out with their earnest and brilliant portrayals of their conflicted young characters.

Of the musical numbers, “Totally Fucked” is perhaps the most entertaining. It is a fun, energetic number that comes between some of the darkest moments of the musical. The children all rock out while mocking the adults (“Blah blah blah blah blah blah blah”). The finale, “Song of Purple Summer,” is gorgeous and highlights the camaraderie of the cast. Despite the tragedies that plague the lives of the characters, especially throughout the second act, it truly does end on a high note.

Spring Awakening relays the disastrous consequences that come from fearing the truth. To make something taboo is not to stop it from existing and having an impact; it just leaves its victims unprepared and ignorant. As Melchior’s mother notes, “Are we so afraid of the truth we will join the ranks of fools and cowards?” This production is beautiful, poignant, heart-wrenching and intense; one that will not be easily forgotten by audiences.

The Wilbury Group’s Spring Awakening runs through June 4 at the Trinity Square Theater, 393 Broad St. in Providence. For more information or tickets, visit thewilburygroup.org or call the box office at 401-400-7100.