Love Hurts: May I have another? Love Hurts: May I have another?
Suicide- Abortion- Homosexuality: Aaahh youth!
Like a stiff salesman traveling thru Tulsa: Teens needs sex no matter what the face of fate.
This highly imaginative production paints a moral space as an illuminated womb where the only way out is by kicking and screaming. Is there anything more sensual than curiosity? A trio of youths rage to find romance hoping to conquer what their parents feared most: Satisfaction.
Wedekind called his original play SPRING’S AWAKENING a ‘tragedy of childhood’ and dedicated this work to both parents and teachers. Director/Writer Evan Drane’s interpretative translation turns lust inside and out; examining naïve libidos tainted by circumstance.
Director Drane comments, “With the Tony Award-winning musical version coming to Los Angeles in the fall, we wanted to offer audiences a rare opportunity to experience the original groundbreaking script.”
This stellar cast is highlighted by newcomer Nick McDow (featured above left) who seems to embody the sincerity and insanity of Sal Mineo at his most vulnerable. But truth be told, there is not a limp link in the entire cast that morphs into a singular vision of “immoral morality,†as seen by the elders.
Wedekind’s circa 1891text (FrÃŒhlings Erwachen) also fuels the recent Tony Award-winning musical by Duncan Sheik and Steven Sater. This unique translation “utilizes subtle but present contemporary dialogue, resulting in a clear enunciation of Wedekind’s themes for modern audiences and aptly capturing his delicate mix of comedy and tragedy.”
As the press notes suggest: SPRING’S AWAKENING brilliantly portrays our paradoxical relationship with the human condition through the lens of a controversial subject matter: the sexual curiosity of teenagers.
SPRING’S AWAKENING directed by Evan Drane
Luke Bailey as Melchior Nick McDow as Moritz
Eleanor Van Hest as Wendla Jen Bailey as Ilse
Written by Frank Wedekind Lead Writer: Evan Drane
Translated/Adapted by the Los Angeles Theatre Ensemble
The Powerhouse Theatre 3116 2nd Street Santa Monica, CA 90405
Tickets $20. Purchase at @ www.latensemble.org or call 1.310.396.3680 ext. 3
Thurs/Fri/Sat performances 8pm thru July 26th (July 23rd -special Wed performance)
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