Student after student walks by the warning posted in UCF’s theater building on a daily basis.
“The following roles in ‘Spring Awakening’ will require nudity: Wendla – bare breasts; Melchior, Hanschen, Ernst, Georg, and Otto – bare butts,” says the lime green sheet of paper hanging on the casting board.
The warning is announcing auditions for Spring Awakening, a musical about the German sexual revolution in the 1800s that is part of the spring season at UCF’s theater. Without prior research or knowledge of the show’s content, an audience would be really surprised by some of the scenes.
“The show does not just show the sex, it also shows the consequences of sex, of ignoring a friend’s pain and the reality of suicide, the importance of good parenting, and a multitude of other interpretations that depend on each audience member,” said Alecsa Kazenas, a theater studies student at UCF.
According to suite101.com, the original play by Frank Wedekind was banned for 15 years in early 19th century Germany. At the time, the content dealing with underage children was too disturbing to put on stage. The musical was adapted from this play by Jason Sebacher and hit Broadway in 2006, catapulting to a success the original play could only dream of.
The musical that has traveled the world and won eight Tony awards is now being performed here at UCF next semester, by students of the theater program. Described as an “electrifying fusion of morality, sexuality, and rock n roll” by springawakening.com, could this mean controversy on campus?
“It’s a great show to bring to a college audience. It’s taking the taboo and uncomfortable subjects of sex and morality and throwing them right in your face,” said Kelly DeMent, a theater major.
Throwing it right in the audience’s face is exactly what this show does. On stage, there is nudity of boys and girls, as well as a risqué sex scene. There are demonstrations of masturbation and implications of suicide and abortion, but it generally deals with relationships among classmates that have varying degrees of sexual knowledge.
The show not only shows these scenes without holding back, but it also uses explicit words in the musical numbers. Two of the main rock songs feature titles of “The Bitch of Living” and “Totally F**cked” in which the majority of cast screams with emotion at the top of their lungs.
“I think the sexual tension and controversy make it a good show for college students. We are at the age where these things are important to understand. We are forming our own opinions and beginning to make our own choices, and that’s why a show like Spring Awakening is important for our demographic,” said Jaimie Sprouls, also a theater student.
At the time this article was written, the cast has been set but is not publicly known. Already, they have a big job to do: make the audience feel the power of the show. Rachel Wilson, a first year theater student, says that the main reason she wanted to audition was because of the show’s ability to make the audience go from rocking out to the show’s modern tunes, to being absolutely uncomfortable with what they are seeing on stage, to leaving the theater in tears. Spring Awakening will debut on the main stage March 21 and will run through March 30.
“To expect to see theater will limit the audience; to go in expecting real life, the show will be like nothing else,” says Kazenas.
