Journey back to late 19th century Germany through a fusion of rock and roll, sexuality, and mortality as Michigan State University’s Department of Theatre presents Spring Awakening on April 5-7 and April 10-14 at the Pasant Theatre in the Wharton Center for Performing Arts.
Based on the 1891 German play by Frank Wedekind, the eight-time Tony Award winning musical, Spring Awakening, adapted by Duncan Sheik and Steven Sater, follows a group of students as they navigate self-discovery and coming of age anxiety in an electrifying celebration of youth and rebellion.
For this production, Director and Associate Professor of Acting Brad Willcuts opted for a cross-campus collaboration with the College of Communication Arts and Sciences. Together with Professor of Media and Information Lisa Whiting-Dobson and Professor of Integrated Performance Media Design Alison Dobbins the team has added a multimedia element to the stage.
“Adding live projections while also honoring the pieces’ values has been an exciting challenge. Having the ability to give audiences a closer look at the vulnerability happening on stage will be the liveliest part of the build.”
Brad Willcuts, Director and Associate Professor of Acting
“When discussing ways to make our production differ from previous works of the piece, we wanted to have camera operators working in real-time to project elements of the performance’s various set pieces. When that idea was introduced, it quickly became our greatest focus,” Willcuts said. “Adding live projections while also honoring the pieces’ values has been an exciting challenge. Having the ability to give audiences a closer look at the vulnerability happening on stage will be the liveliest part of the build.”
Tickets for Spring Awakening are available online at whartoncenter.com, at the Wharton Center box office, or by calling 1-800-WHARTON.
Content Notice: This production contains theatrical haze and fog, strobe light effects, loud music, explicit language, a prop firearm, brief nudity, and mature themes including depictions of, or references to sexual acts, violence, self-harm, suicide, and sexual and physical abuse.
Performance Dates
- Friday, April 5, at 8 p.m.
- Saturday, April 6, at 8 p.m.
- Sunday, April 7, at 2 p.m.
- Wednesday, April 10, at 7.30 p.m.
- Thursday, April 11, at 7:30 p.m.
- Friday, April 12, at 8 p.m.
- Saturday, April 13, at 2 p.m. and 8 p.m.
- Sunday, April 14, at 2 p.m.
Ticket Pricing
- General Admission: $25
- Seniors and Faculty: $20
- Students: $10
For more information on the show and other MSU Department of Theatre productions, visit https://www.whartoncenter.com/events/category/dept-of-theatre.
