By Sybil Levine

     At last! The long awaited performance of Spring Awakening will be opening its doors to reveal all the juicy secrets of teenagers! Take a step back into the days of tablets, latin, and abstinence-only sex education – and no, I’m not talking about these days. Really, folks, you don’t want to miss this. Senior director Helena Thompson, also known as the ring leader, left no detail unattended: no note untuned, no scene unplanned, no mic unchecked. 

     I first saw this show with my parents at the age of 16. In all honesty, I was so preoccupied with the fact that I had witnessed a sex scene – a live one at that, this was not TV – while sitting mere inches away from both of my parents that I did not even recognize the play for what it was; what it is. Now having re-watched the play with a more mature mindset, Spring Awakening has given me a chance to look at my teenage years; my coming of age.

     The situations the teenagers of Spring Awakening face are not unlike those faced by real teens every day: uncomfortable and unclear sex talks, conservative schooling in line with conservative religious views, abuse of women and children, soul-searching, suicide, acquaintance rape, death. As characters, both real and make-believe, we search for signs of love, of true love, as we travel through the dark ages of teen-hood. Along the way we win some and lose some; wound some and wound ourselves. ”Oh I’m gonna bruise you, oh you’re gonna be my bruise.”

     If you’re one of the lucky ones with a ticket I encourage you to use this play as time for self-reflection. Many of us are out of our teen years now and we’re capable of examining and learning from our past behavior. For those of you without a ticket, there will be 25 sold before each show – April 19-21 at 7:30 – so get there extra early!