SPRING AWAKENING to be Presented at Savannah Stage Company This Month

Get ready to be swept away by a mesmerizing exploration of teenage angst, rebellion, and the tumultuous path to adulthood. Savannah Stage Company has announced the first production of their 11th Season, Spring Awakening. This groundbreaking rock musical, with book and lyrics by Steven Sater and music by Duncan Sheik, delves fearlessly into the universal themes of desire, identity, and the consequences of societal repression. The power of Spring Awakening awaits you at The Lobby of Savannah Rep on Broughton St., from June 22nd to 25th.

Based on Frank Wedekind's controversial play from 1981, Spring Awakening follows the intertwining stores of a group of teenagers as they navigate the treacherous path from youth to adulthood. Faced with a rigid and oppressive society, the young protagonists wrestle with their own burgeoning sexuality, unmet desires, and stifling weight of societal expectations.

Through its unflinching portrayal of taboo subjects such as sexual exploration, abuse, and suicide, Spring Awakening challenges conventional norms and highlights the timeless battle between individuality and conformity. It serves as a stark reminder of the consequences that can arise from a society's refusal to acknowledge and nurture the natural impulses of its youth.

Featuring the largest cast and crew to date for Savannah Stage Company, Spring Awakening brings SSC audiences so many new artists to fall in love with! Leading the production is Shelby Parker and Joseph Kammerman, as Wendla and Melchoir, respectively. The girls of the village include SSC staple and Company Manager, Abigail D'Aguillo as Anna, and newcomers Kylie Shaieb as Martha, Jane Marie Price as Ilse, Gabriella Haddock as Thea, Brittany Cerra as Frieda, and Oliva Bell as Johanna as understudy for Wendla. For the boys, SSC welcomes recent Savannah Arts Academy graduate Marshall Benton as Mortiz, Thomas Luna/">Luna as Hänschen, Tyron Ford-Everett as Otto, and SCAD students Myles Bright as Georg and William Belvin as Ernst. The adult characters are played by Shawna Peña-Downing, and SSC favorites, Gary Shelby and Malinda Davis-Smith. Ella Foose, Sadie Forman, and Noah Velodota serve as understudies.

Creatively, this production is just as large! With SSC Director of Education, Lexi Balaoing Ambrose and Artistic Director Jayme Tinti, co-directing, they are pleased to welcome Musical Director, Megan Wellman Blanton, with Jarred Corona serving as Asst. Musical Director and Michael Ferguson as Choreographer, with Ella Foose as Dance Captain. Chris Meford is Sets Designer and Katie-Wimberly Smyth as Props Designer. Victoria Bender as Costume Designer, with Sadie Forman as Hair and Makeup Designer. Ashley Frazell-Cook, Connect Savannah's Best Local Actress of 2017-2018 serves as Acting Coach and Zaacheus Kimbrell, Resident Acting Company at Barter Theatre, professional dialect and vocal coach, and Instructor of Theatre at Emory & Henry College as Dialect Coach. Stage Manager Aisley Sampler is joined by teen company member Liv Dugas as Asst. Stage Manager.

Their Season of Experimentation is a celebration of SSC's belief that art loves order and that they must be scientists of their art, not relying on talent but on observation, research, experimentation, data, and reporting. They believe their rehearsal is their laboratory and in order to grow, they must experiment.

The Lobby at Savannah Rep aims to bring theatre back to Broughton St. and SSC is excited to be part helping to bring that goal to life! With performances happening right within the big glass windows of the old Honda dealership at 402 E. Broughton St.!

SSC is offering special late-night viewings of Spring Awakening that are available as PAY WHAT IT'S WORTH, giving the audience the opportunity to pay after the performance, whatever they felt it was worth. Making theatre accessible is a core value of SSC and giving audiences a voice in what they pay is one way SSC can help pursue their mission of serving the southern coastal region with accessible professional theatre that encourages growth through imagination and bravery.

With their signature imaginative storytelling through movement and music,
SSC navigates the intimate moments of the show thoughtfully and with accessibility in mind, but Spring Awakening does contain semi-partial nudity and sexual content, as well as explicit language. It is recommended for ages 15+.

Performance Details: 

WHO:Savannah Stage Company
WHAT:Spring Awakening with book & lyrics by Steven Sater and Music by Duncan Sheik
WHEN: June 22nd-25th
WHERE:The Lobby at Savannah Rep - 402 E Broughton Street Savannah, GA 31406
RUNNING TIME:2 hours with a 15 minute intermission
SOCIAL MEDIA: @savannahstagecompany [Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, and Twitter]
PRICE:$30, PAY WHAT YOU CAN, PAY WHAT IT'S WORTH
PHOTO CREDIT:Angelica Sorauf
INFO & TICKETS: online at www.savananhstagecompany.com