Emotional winter musical to incorporate audience into performance

The Winter Term musical, “Spring Awakening,” is slowly starting to roll into action as the MHCC drama department gets everything together, and it’s one whose story will be familiar to many people: one of coming of age, rebellion against authority, and learning to cope with change.

It’s a story where one can be close to the characters and their struggles, emotionally and – in this case – physically, too, since the production will be held in the Studio Theatre instead of the much larger College Theatre.

“There’s a limited amount of seats,” said Mace Archer, MHCC director and instructor for theatre. “We’re trying to tell people to get tickets fast because there isn’t the massive amount of seating, like usual.”

The setup will have a more intimate feeling, Archer noted, with some of the audience even being placed on stage and surrounding it. In that sense, the audience is “built” into the play, the same way that modern music will be. While the play is set in 1800s Germany, the music for it is all contemporary rock, and the six-piece band performing will also be on stage.

The stage design was created by internationally renowned scenic designer Marina Raytchnivo from Bulgaria, who was a colleague of Archer’s when setting up a production in Knoxville, Tennessee.

“We asked her if she could design the set for ‘Spring Awakening’ and she agreed to do so,” he said. She’ll be coming to visit the campus the week of the show’s opening, he said.

Apart from the design and setup of the stage, a main difference from previous years is that this winter musical is a drama, instead of a light-hearted comedy, as usual. It also asks much from the actors emotionally, since the theme of suicide comes into the story.

“We were looking at those issues and looking at the scene that is confronting (suicide), and then there’s a funeral scene in the play, as well,” said Archer. “At the end of the rehearsal, all of the (actors) were just in tears… We had to stop the rehearsal because everyone was so moved and upset by what was happening in the play.”

It’s hoped that the audience will feel the same power from the material and be comfortable enough to express those emotions within the intimacy of the setting and subject.

Opening night for “Spring Awakening” will be on Feb. 23 and run through March 4.

It’s strongly cautioned that the production does have mature and sensitive content, and might not be “family appropriate” for all. For all those willing to experience those strong emotions, it’s a chance to see the show before it goes back to sleep, so to speak.