Non-Musical "Spring Awakening" Is A Classic, Yet Oh, So Relevant

 The Artistic Home, near the corner of Byron and Clark on the outskirts of Chicago's Wrigleyville neighborhood, is directly across the street from a cemetery. Well, three cemeteries, I think. And that is so appropriate, because, as you may know, that's where you end up at the end of this 1891 German dramatic classic by Frank Wedekind, being performed now through May 9, 2010 by the Promethean Theatre Ensemble. This play, shocking in its time and unsettling even now, was the source of the Broadway musical of the same name, which won seven 2008 Tony Awards in a (some say) groundbreaking production starring Jonathan Groff and Lea Michele (now reprising their love interest on TV's "Glee," but that's another column). 

Promethean's mounting of the original non-musical text (I'm not sure who did the quite accessible translation) is a great opportunity for those whose tastes may run to the musical side of things to dabble in fairly hardcore "theatre." That is to say, there are monologues, fights, character masks, much dutiful carrying on and off of tables, chairs and benches, and an announcement of each scene, from an actor out of character. The nine actors all play multiple parts, and the show is a little bit long, though not overly so. For fans of the musical, I urge you to go and see from whence your favorite characters (Melchior, Wendla, Moritz, Ernst, Ilse et al.) came, and for those who love a good story, with heartbreaking situations and deeply resonant ideas, I would hope that you already have your tickets in hand!

The list of issues this script presents, and which this production faces head on, is a long one: teen pregnancy, masturbation, intellectual curiosity in a conservative community, abortion, sex education, homosexuality, suicide, date rape, academic discipline, masochism. It's exhausting to think about, much less to list. I'm sure I've left some things out, too. And yet, amazingly, this show does not come across as a "message" play. It shows kids and their parents, struggling with all the aspects of growing up, unable to understand the issues they face until it is too late, if at all. It's sometimes hard to watch, and yet always fascinating to encounter. 

Curly-haired leading man Nick Lake does a great job as Melchior, the golden boy of the town who, smarter than his parents and frustrated by lack of information about everything he thinks and feels, starts down a path which leads to the destruction of the boy and girl he cares most about in the world. His emotional vulnerability and his core of strength go inspiringly hand in hand. As Moritz, the beta male who may be stronger than he ever realizes, Tyler Rich brings his Anthony Michael Hall looks and a dignified, comic/ironic analysis of his own shortcomings to the tricky role. And as Wendla, the 14-year-old girl who just wants to know where babies come from, Devon Candura doesn't look that age (none of the young performers really do) but she captures the innocence, wonder and mystification of this tragic girl perfectly. The scene of Wendla and Melchior alone in the hay loft is a remarkably staged and acted dance of seduction, aggression, submission, confusion, lust and love. And barely a word is spoken. It's highly awesome and impressive work. 

In secondary roles, Zachary Clark plays both Melchior's father and Ernst, as well as a key figure at the end of the show, with astonishing range and command. His scene with the handsome Hans of Cole Simon is a sweet respite from the turmoil of the second act. Paul G. Miller is commanding as Sunstroke, and Sara Gorsky is enigmatically endearing as Ilse. And as the mothers of Melchior and Wendla, respectively, Jessica London-Shields is a noble, old-fashioned woman of bearing, and Jes Bedwinek is a fussier, repressed housewife way in over her head. 

The central conceit of this production is that all the adults are masked, both to make clear the double-casting of roles and to enable quick changes back and forth. But on top of those practical considerations, director Stephen F. Murray, dramaturg Jamie Bragg and mask designer Crystal Jovae Mazur use the situation to point out the absurdity of many of the adult actions as seen through the eyes of the teenagers. While the parents are portrayed somewhat realistically, even though they are to be regarded as misguided, the teachers and other authority figures are caricatures, with exaggerated voices and movements which mirror the children's impression of their exaggerated opinions and behaviors. I can't say for sure that this is entirely successful (I liked some masks more than others, for instance), but it is consistent and meaningful enough. And it makes the "generation gap" (decades before that term was invented) crystal clear. 

The set design by Aaron Menninga (a wall of an old-fashioned building, stylized on the stage left side, with a little hay thrown about) and the props designed by Douglas Kupferman are rustic and timeless. Lights by Christine Ferriter are moody and effective, as is the extraordinary sound design by Steve Ptacek (a combination of punk-thrash-goth-metal rock music and ambient sounds of nature that totally won me over). Vanessa Passini's fight choreography is thrilling. And the costumes, by Emma Weber, are just rustic enough, just period enough, just contemporary enough, to be universal in tone and European in detail. 

As advertised, this "Spring Awakening" takes "an unflinching look at the struggles of youth against the immense pressure put on them by adult society in all its hypocrisy and thundering ignorance." It's not always easy to experience this show, even if you think you know what is coming. But it is oh, so relevant, 119 years after this script first emerged. Wouldn't it be nice if one day that weren't so? If adults were fully able to guide the young in their lives through all the turmoil that hormones and growth and societal expectations produce? Alas, I fear we are not yet there. But this show, a cautionary tale for adults and an all-to-familiar landscape for teens and those who remember their own teen years, is indeed here. It is thought-provoking and yet unthinkable. 

Care to step up? Face life, as it was once lived and, to a large degree, still is. I'm glad that the Promethean Theatre Ensemble has produced this troubling and all-too-human play. Its rewards are there for the taking. 

"Spring Awakening" by Frank Wedekind will be presented at The Artistic Home, 3914 N. Clark Street, from April 16 to May 9, Thursdays through Sundays. Tickets are $20 and are available at www.prometheantheatre.org or by calling 1-800-838-3006.

Photos (from top): Devon Candura and Nick Lake; Devon Candura and Jes Bedwinek; Nick Lake; Zachary Clark and Jessica London-Shields; Tyler Rich  

Photo credit: Tom McGrath