SPRING AWAKENING

An aerial dance fantasia set On a playground

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Spring Awakening is about the bursting energy of adolescence, and the trauma that occurs when adults try to force their teenagers to remain children. Our set is a playground with a massive pirate ship as its center piece. The pirate ship aligns with the pirate imagery in the show, and the metaphor for voyaging into uncharted territory.

As the thrill of sexual awakening takes over, the swings and ropes of our playground are used for aerial choreography. Our childhood space becomes more inventive, daring, and dangerous.

As the trauma sets in and our characters experience suicide, abortion, and outcast, the playground becomes bloodied and torn apart.

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 Touch Me

During the song “Touch Me,” an explosion of aerial movement erupts throughout our playground using the the tire swing, the ropes and bungees.

The crowning moment is a boy and girl doing “vertical dance” on the sails of the ship, belayed by the other actors.

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Shadow play on the sails

As night sets in, we are able to illuminate the back of the sails and cast silhouettes. This will be how we visually communicate the more terrifying moments, such as Wendla’s abortion and Moritz’ suicide.

 
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Wendla and Melchior’s first time

Wendla and Melchior have their first sexual experience together on the merry-go-round. As they go deeper, the carousel spins faster and faster, spun by their childhood friends.

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 Audience configuration

The audience is set in three quarter round surrounding the pirate ship, however elements of the playground are set within and beyond our audience to give the show a limitless quality.

For example, “Word of Your Body” would be set on a tire swing in the center of the audience that slowly lifts and spins above the crowd, communicating the heady danger of the flirt for both Wendla/Melchior and Hanshen/Ernst.

Other elements, such as the seesaw or the tree swing, will be within the audience configuration, creating satellite play spaces that bring the action closer to parts of the audience that aren’t near the pirate ship center piece. The idea is to give everyone an intimate moment, no matter where they are sitting.

 
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 Example of Spring Awakening Choreography Exploration:

Example of aerial choreography exploration: