Spring Awakening: A Children's Tragedy

Play

Writers: Frank Wedekind

Overview

Show Information

Category
Play
Number of Acts
3
First Produced
1906
Genres
Drama
Settings
Period, Multiple Settings
Time & Place
Germany, 1890s
Cast Size
large
Licensor
None/royalty-free
Ideal for
College/University, Community Theatre, Large Cast, Mature Audiences, Professional Theatre, Regional Theatre
Casting Notes
Mostly male cast
Includes early teen, adult, mature adult, late teen, young adult, elderly characters

Synopsis

A social and cultural argument written before its time, Spring Awakening: A Children’s Tragedy is a sharp indictment of a repressive society that keeps its children in ignorance about puberty, sex, and sexuality. The plot follows three young people in a provincial German village in the 1890s: Wendla Bergmann, a young woman curious about where babies come from and why; Melchior Gabor, a rebellious intellectual with abundant knowledge but little emotional maturity; and Moritz Stiefel, a struggling student anxious to understand his developing body as he searches for success in school. As these three young people seek awareness, their worlds crumble around them through repression by the adults in their lives. A tragedy of rape, abuse, and suicide, Frank Wedekind’s Spring Awakening: A Children’s Tragedy continues to amaze and impact audiences over a century after its first performance.

Lead Characters


Spring Awakening: A Children's Tragedy guide sections