SoL Theatre is set to premiere the relevant and thought-provoking musical “Spring Awakening,” written by Duncan Sheik and Steven Sater, at Thunder River Theatre (TRTC). The show opens on July 11 at 7:30pm and runs through July 21.
This is the youth theater company’s first professional production and the premiere of its new Summer Stock series.
Set in Germany in the late 19th century, this critically acclaimed, coming-of-age, rock musical is based on an 1891 play of the same name, written by Frank Wedekind, and follows the story of a group of teenagers in a provincial town as they navigate puberty and experience a series of events brought on by a lack of knowledge and the hypocrisy of the adults in their lives who are hellbent on protecting their innocence.
It is important to note that Jennifer Austin Hughes, the executive director of the youth theater company, issued a content warning for themes of abuse, sexual situations, abortion and suicide — various traumas the characters face. Therefore, the play is rated “R.”
“It is basically the story of what happens when parents gatekeep information from kids,” Austin Hughes told The Sopris Sun, “but not really thinking about the repercussions of kids not having all the information they need to navigate the world as adults.”
Staring in this show are: Blake Novy (Melchior), Maizy Post (Wendla), Jessica Vesey (Martha), Liam Specht (Ernst), Isabella Poschman (Anna), Zach Bartlett (Moritz), Kassidy Birdsong (Frau Gabor), Katie Huttenhower (Thea), Ella Lindenberg (Ilse), Willow Poschman (Georg), Ricky Perez (Hanschen), Charlie Cox (Otto), Allison Fifield (Frau Bergman), Eliza Domingos (Fraulein Knuppeldick), William LeDent (Herr Stiefel), Gerald Delisser (Headmaster Knochenbruch) and Emma Boucher (ensemble and swing).
Luke Ryan choreographed, Bonnie Draina was the musical director and Sean Jeffries was the lighting designer.
Though it is true that SoL has primarily performed family-friendly shows, it has veered in more mature directions over the last couple of years, putting on shows like “Rent” and “West Side Story.”
“Funny enough, some of the older kids in this cast have been asking to do this since they were younger. I always said it was never going to happen,” Austin Hughes explained. “We’ve been testing the waters and pushing the boundaries for a few years — also leveling up the production value of our shows, especially since moving into TRTC. It felt like the perfect time to do it.”
One of the student performers, Lindenberg, has been involved with SoL for two years. In discussing her role as Ilse, she said she was drawn to the character, who, she explained, can be interpreted in many ways.
“A challenge that I have had in playing a character like [Ilse] has been finding ways to relate, as I have not experienced the things she has,” said the young actor, adding, “She brushes over the darkness in her life in a humorous ‘Oh, it’s fine’ kind of way.”
When asked about the importance of putting on shows like this, Austin Hughes said that elements in the show are very relevant to what’s going on in the world today. She sees the theater as the perfect place for folks to start those conversations.
“The stage allows a safe space to have difficult conversations. It can challenge … how we think we already feel about something, simply by seeing and walking for a couple of hours in someone else’s shoes,” Austin Hughes concluded.
In a nutshell
What: “Spring Awakening”
|Who: SoL Theatre Company
Where: Thunder River Theatre Company When: July 11, 12, 13, 18, 19 and 20 at 7:30pm; July 14 and 21 at 2pm
Tickets: www.soltheatrecompany.org