Opening this Thursday, University Theatre’s latest production, “Spring Awakening,” explores the timeless tension between youth and authority — and the perils of coming of age — in an electrifying musical driven by a pulsating rock score and brought to life by a bold cast of student performers.
Set in Germany in the late 19th century, the musical follows a group of teenagers as they navigate the turbulent transition from adolescence to adulthood, grappling with sexuality, self-discovery, repression, and societal expectations. Adapted by Steven Sater and Duncan Sheik from an 1891 play by Frank Wedekind, the production fuses historical setting with modern music, movement, and language, creating a raw theatrical experience that resonates with today’s audiences.
Director Erica Berman sees the play as both timely and timeless — a “cautionary tale, holding up a mirror to society.”
“It’s about the prevalence of ‘adultism’ in the lives of these young people,” she explains, “which is the practice of prioritizing the needs and rights of adults over young people.”
That power imbalance, she explains, isn’t just historical.
“That is very prevalent in today’s society as well,” Berman says. “I often say that in our world, adults make the decisions and youth have to live with the consequences.”
Through the music, the characters transcend their 19th-century surroundings. “They get to step out of the world of 1891 Germany into these much more modern songs with modern language — and that’s their inner world. I think we always have agency to dream of a better world. And these young people do that.”
Berman hopes the production encourages audiences to do the same. “Part of the goal of ‘Spring Awakening’ is to listen to the voices of young people and push back against adultism in every way we can — to prioritize their needs in our society.”
The cast, composed almost entirely of UW–Madison students, has been central to molding the story. “They’ve just been a complete honor to work with — thoughtful and brave and bold and creative,” says Berman. “We’re doing a difficult play in difficult times. And so one of my priorities was to center joy.”
“Joy is a radical act,” has been a guiding mantra through the rehearsal process. “We’re centering joy in the creation of a show that has a lot of heaviness to it,” explains Berman. “But how can we also center joy in the experience of telling these important stories?”
The outstanding student talent driving this production extends beyond the actors on stage. Lucy Cowen, the stage manager, “is just wonderful,” Berman says. “She and her stage management team have shown such professionalism and have been a delight to work with.”
Two standout student designers, Nora Wondra (costumes) and Leo Wang (lights), have also played key roles shaping the production. “They bring such a sense of professionalism and creativity and fresh perspective that I think is essential to this process — as well as the incredible professional designers that we’re working with.”
That mix of professional and student talent has made the process especially meaningful.
“Both in the rehearsal room and in the design process, we now have both professionals and students working side by side to create this world and to tell this story,” says Berman. “In a process that tries to center the voices of students very deliberately, it’s been a real joy to be able to do that at every level.”
University Theatre’s “Spring Awakening” runs April 17 – 27 in the Ronald E. Mitchell Theatre in Vilas Hall. To buy tickets, visit artsticketing.wisc.edu or call 608-265-2787.