BWW Previews: C-R Kids Pushing The Limits On Youth Theatre With SPRING AWAKENING

Looking back, I owe so much to the theatrical opportunities presented to me in high school. Not only was my school's theatre program educational and entertaining, but it opened up a new door in my life and sparked my love for what now has started to become my career. Among these experiences was performing in a production of the beloved classic West Side Story with C-R Kids. Though only my first production with the group, I cherished every moment of working alongside these incredibly talented performers who made each rehearsal an amazing experience.

Being in West Side Story also opened my eyes to C-R Kids, an amazing theatre company that is now pushing the limits on youth theatre. Tonight, they will open a production of Duncan Sheik's Spring Awakening, a musical that discusses some controversial subjects, specifically for teenagers. Yet, director Tony Rivera was extremely excited to tackle this challenging project.

"I was cleaning out my papers and scripts when "Word of your body - reprise " comes on Pandora and it hit me over the head like an elephant, [specifically] the lyrics "Oh, I'm gonna be wounded. Oh I'm gonna be your wound. Oh I'm gonna bruise you. Oh I'm gonna be your bruise." [During a dark time in my life], I thought to myself - hold on this is the stuff that makes us stronger, this is the moment when one is reborn and redefined by what they choose to do next. So I took my bruised self over to my inspiration board and started writing down what I wanted to do with theatre and what shows embodied discovery, acceptance, rebellion, social and moral injustice, teenage and adult suffering, and how we find ourselves getting to the brink of giving up. All of the topics and ideas [of Spring Awakening are] very mature and yes, heavy, but I also started to think of the talent pool I've been attracting the last couple of years and thought that they and their parents were up for the challenge and our audiences were ready too," Rivera explains. "More than anything, I want to produce and direct shows that really have a social and moral message and for those stories to be told by our future citizens and leaders - high school students. Yes, the season, especially Spring Awakening, sprung from a wounded place I was in at [last year], but I turned that into hope and aspiration which then really blossomed into passion and joy."

When it came to tackling the source material, Rivera had a plan as to how to introduce not only the children, but also the parents, to these raunchy themes.

"Our first rehearsal was with parents and cast members. I wanted to relate with the parents and let them know what subjects we were tackling with Spring Awakening and that it wasn't going to be a sex ed class, but we would be moving at the pace of their children. Yes, I would talk about sex, abortion, and teenage suicide, but I would keep to the story and script at hand and only elaborate on what their children wanted to discuss. I also found statistics about all these subject matters, videos that illustrated real people going through these real topics and how they either survived or unfortunately did not survive. I started the dialogue with the parents first and asked them to help me with these topic and if they should have suggestions please offer me guidance. Some did and it was truly wonderful. But primarily I found anecdotes to share with the cast and asked them to share their own stories about these complex themes."
C-R Kids presented their first installment of Spring Awakening a few weeks back at UAlbany. This time around, students from counties up north, including Saratoga and Glens Falls, will have their opportunity to tackle the musical. The show will run June 3 and 4 at Saratoga Music Hall. Rivera explains to us that the show's message is incredibly important for many, not just teenagers, a reason why all should attend the production.

"We cannot have blinders on about youth. [Audiences] should see this show because it's not a show about sex, which is what the general public equates it with. It's a story about fear, being misunderstood, exploring your place in the world, exploring yourself for the first time, finding a connection with others, asking questions, making decisions to live and not to give up. I want people to see this show because I want them to know that although we all go through bad times, we can make it past them. That although life is cold and bleak at times it will warm up and new life will always be on the horizon. It's a story of evolution and hope."

For more information, visit crkids.org.