The Original Playwright
Frank Wedekind
Spring Awakening the musical was adapted from a 19th century piece written by Frank Wedekind. Wedekind was a German playwright, whose works were known for criticizing bourgeois attitudes. He is considered a founder of expressionism as well as the theatre of the absurd. Wedekind was disturbed by the hypocrisy in Germany’s society, especially regarding sexuality and education. Spring Awakening was meant to be an attack on Germany's education system, which focused on German history rather than the facts of life. His goal was to show what the affect repression and societal presence can have on German youth.
Frank Wedekind was one of the first to depict adolescent sexuality, homoeroticism, and masturbation onstage. This led to many of his writings, including Spring Awakening, being banned from German stages. This caused Wedekind, at his own expense, to publish the play in Switzerland. This play wasn't performed in the 19th century due to the fact that German producers believed the contents of the writing were too intense and shocking for the audience. This changed in the 20th century after the piece had caught the eye of Max Reinhardt, who produced the show in Berlin, Germany. After this successful performance, Spring Awakening found a permanent home in the repertoires of several German theatre companies. (Fishman 1970)
Frank Wedekind was one of the first to depict adolescent sexuality, homoeroticism, and masturbation onstage. This led to many of his writings, including Spring Awakening, being banned from German stages. This caused Wedekind, at his own expense, to publish the play in Switzerland. This play wasn't performed in the 19th century due to the fact that German producers believed the contents of the writing were too intense and shocking for the audience. This changed in the 20th century after the piece had caught the eye of Max Reinhardt, who produced the show in Berlin, Germany. After this successful performance, Spring Awakening found a permanent home in the repertoires of several German theatre companies. (Fishman 1970)
By: BS
Musical
Spring Awakening made it's off-broadway debut in 2006 after almost seven years of workshops, concert staging, and brainstorming. Popularity for the musical began to grow, and it quickly became one of the most revered musicals of it's time, with it being cited as, "the most gorgeous Broadway score this decade" (Entertainment Weekly). Creators Duncan Sheik and Steven Sater took on the challenge of adapting the original 1891 play into an angsty, rock musical and introduce the story to a new group of people. Despite times changing, the topics and themes discussed within the script are still relevant today. Sixteen years after its debut, Spring Awakening is still able to reach audiences and encourage important conversations.
The new adaptation of the famed 1891 play went through many different rewrites and variations since the initial concept meetings in the late 1990's (Music Theatre International). Before it's initial premiere in 2006, the plot of the musical resembled that of the original script much closer. Sheik and Sater wanted the relationship between Wendla and Melchior to be more loving, which greatly differs from that of the play. More plot changes included Wendla being taken to an abortionist, the way Mortitz' father reacts to his death, as well as the final scene. In the original text, Wendla does not come back after death, and Mortiz tries to convince Melchior to kill himself, both of which do not happen in the musical. The musical also emphasizes that all adult characters are to be played by one male and one female, showing us what the world looks like through the eyes of the teens. Other changes included cutting and combining songs, reworking different pieces, and other ways of making the musical more fluid and less lengthy. Despite the controversy surrounding the musical, Spring Awakening went on to win eight out of the eleven Tony Awards it was nominated for, garnering the most nominations of any show of the season (Gans). This included Best Original Score, Best Book of a Musical, and Best Musical. |
By: BB