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Spring Awakening another successful production

Theatre Western’s hard work and talent translates to the stage
November 30, 2009
By Jessie Mason

Theatre Western’s interpretation of a century-old script was performed this past weekend at the Grand Theatre’s McManus Studio, selling out all three nights. The cast lit up the stage with impressive dialogue and snapshots of the inner demons of a 14-year-old.

Spring Awakening is a story of loneliness in all its twisted adolescent forms — puberty, love, drugs, confusion and lust. Somehow in this play, stress over a Latin quiz is translated into the irrational desire to jump off a bridge naked. And such is the essence of the play written by Frank Wedekind in the late 19th century.

Director Jordan Brown decided to make the script the focus of the play — and rightfully so as the dialogue is eloquent, poetic and certainly worth the audience’s attention.

Innocent young Wendla, played by first-year student Katy Clark, is curious about the world, where babies come from and even what it feels like to be beaten. Clark portrayed this character — whose curiosity ultimately leads to her demise — beautifully.

Philip Wiseman and Adam Moryto also earned themselves a hearty round of applause — Wiseman for his energetic performance as Moritz, a soul tortured to the point of dysfunction, and Moryto as the fearless rock of the group Melchior, whose regrettable decisions transform him into a hopeless, lost runaway. Moryto has been acting for most of his life, which was certainly reflected in his role.

Other notable performances came from actors Megan Muldoon, playing the quirky girl who hides her sorrows, and Taylor Scragg, a master of monologues.

It was obvious hard work went into this play — the entire cast put on lively and intriguing performances, drawing the audience right into their world despite few effects and stage props.

Characters constantly went on tangents — mostly rampages of nonsense — full of subtle humour and darkness. The brilliance of the play came from this juxtaposition, a perfect portrayal of confused adolescence.

While the play’s dialogue is old-fashioned, Theatre Western successfully interpreted it in a modern way, to show that feelings of adolescence are still exactly the same as they were 100 years ago.

The performance was real, daring and timeless — a real pleasure to watch. You couldn’t help but leave the theatre with shivers running down your spine.

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