AwakenYourSenses:AReviewofSpringAwakening

Closeyoureyesfor10seconds.
Welcomeback.Inthosebriefmoments,maybewithoutevenrealizingit,yourfourother
sensesintensified.Perhapsyoubecameawareofhowthispaperfeelsinyourhands,
maybeyoujustnoticedyourgumlostitsflavororpossiblyyouarerollingyoureyesata
conversationunfoldingnearby.
AccordingtoanarticlefromScientificAmerican,thestudy,publishedinTheJournalof
Neuroscience,showspeoplewhoareborndeafuseareasofthebraintypicallydevotedto
processingsoundtoinsteadprocesstouchandvision.Whenwedisengageoneofour
senses,theothersareamplified.
ThisspellbindingrevivalofSpringAwakening,basedonFrankWedekinds1891play,
featuresAmericanSignLanguagefullyintegratedintotheEnglishperformancebyboth
deafandhearingcastmembers.
DeafWestTheatersproductionpremieredinLosAngeles,Californiain2014.After
receivingcriticalacclaim,itwasannouncedinJulythattheshowwouldcometo
Broadwaythisfall.WithpreviewsoftheshowstartingonSept.8,itwillopenonSunday,
Sept.27andiscurrentlysettocloseJan.24attheBrooksAtkinsonTheatrein
Manhattan.
TheBroadwaydebutofSpringAwakeningsuccessfullyranfrom2006to2009with
859performances.Thecast,starringLeaMicheleandJonathonGroff,earnedeightTony
Awardsin2007,includedamongthem,BestMusical,BestOriginalScore,Best
ChoreographyandBestLightingDesign.
ItisapowerfulcomingofagestorysetinGermanyinthelate1800s.Themusical
followsthejourneysofMelchiorGabor(AutinP.McKenzie),WendlaBergmann(Sandra
MaeFrankandKatieBoeck)andMoritzStiefel(DanielDurantandAlexBoniello),as
theseadolescentsnavigatetheoftenunrulywatersofgrowingintothemselvesandtheir
relationshipswiththeirpeers.
TheDeafWestTheatercompanyconsistsofbothdeafandhearingactors.Twonotable
characters,WendlaandMoritz,aredoublecastedonstage.Theprimaryactorsaredeaf
andsignthedialoguewhiletheirhearingcounterpartsspeakthescript,singthelyricsand
providesubtlevisualcues.Thespeakingactorsaresothoughtfullywovenintothe
choreographythattheaudiencecanunderstandhowthecharacterssometimesinteract
withtheirinnerselves.
ItisnocoincidencethatSpringAwakeningheavilyrevolvesaroundcommunication(or
lackthereof)betweenfriends,romanticpartners,parentsandteachers.

UnderthedirectionofMichaelArdenwithmusicbyDuncanSheik,lyricsbySteven
SaterandchoreographybySpencerLiff,theactorsconveythecompellingevolutionof
thesecharactersandtheultimatehumandesiresforloveandcommunication.
InavideobyBuzzfeeddocumentingthestoryofthisscintillatingproduction,theartistic
director,DJKurs,said,Musicisnotanartformthatistypicallyavailabletothedeaf
communitysointhisproductionwerenotjustbringingsignlanguagetohearingpeople,
werebringingmusicalsintothedeafcommunityaswell.
Thismusicalisnothingshortofasensoryoverload.Thewaytheactorssigntheentire
scriptandhowthelightingmanagestocommandtheaudiencesattentionis
overwhelminglybeautiful.Thesigningdirectlycorrelatestotheoverarchingthemesof
themusic,lyricsanddialoguewithgentlemotionsforsoftersongsandmoredramatic
gesturesduringintensescenes.
NotonlydoesthisrevivalofSpringAwakeningextendbeyondthetypicaltheater
experience,italsoholdsaplaceinBroadwayhistory.AliStroker(Anna)makesherdebut
asthefirstpersoninawheelchaireveronBroadway.The28yearoldactresswas
paralyzedfromthechestdownafteracaraccidentwhenshewasjusttwoyearsold.Now,
asstatedintheshowsPlaybill,Alibelievesthatanylimitationcanbeanopportunity.
Today,thereareabout500,000peopleusingASL(AmericanSignLanguage)inthe
UnitedStates.Itisthethirdmosttaughtlanguageinschoolsanduniversitiesacrossthe
country.ThroughtheemotionallychargedscriptandtheASLtranslationofit,the
productionisarevolutionaryexperiencefortheatergoers.
Formosthumanbeings,ourfivesensesareconstantlyengagedduringourwakinghours.
Asoneofthesehumans,itishardtounderstandwhatitisliketobedeprivedofany
sensesonadailybasis(withoutwearinganeyemaskornoisecancellingheadphones).
SpringAwakeningtranscendsthesenses.Itexceedswhatwethinkwemayknowabout
bodylanguageandvisualproduction.Deafandhearingmembersofboththecastand
audienceexperiencethisrockmusicalwiththeirentirebeing.Thesigningandlighting
makesjustasmuchofanimpactasthemusicandlyrics.
Whenwedisengageoneofoursenses,theothersareamplified.
Noteveryoneinthetheatermaybeabletohear,butitiscertainthateverysingleperson
feelssomethingwhenthestorytoucheshisorherheart.