Spring Awakening

Melchior Gabor James

Moritz Floyd
Wendla Bergman Dani
Ilse Sam
Doctor von Brausepulver/ Schmidt Dom
Frau Bergman Emma
Herr Gabor Jonathan
Frau Gabor - Jess
Dont Do Sadness/ Blue Wind Floyd and Sam
Left Behind James
Wendlas bedroom. She is reading the letter from Melchoir. Melchoir appears.
MELCHIOR:
(from letter): . I have now seen, Wendla, how this contemptible bourgeois
society works how everything we touch is turned to dirt. In the end, we have only
each other we must build a different world. Despite what those whispering elders
may say, I must set my head against your breast. We must let ourselves breathe
and move again in that Paradise
Enter Doctor von Brausepulver and Frau Bergman. Wendla hides the letter in her
sleeve.
DOCTOR:
Now, now, dont fret. Ive been prescribing these since before you were born, young
lady. In fact, I recently recommended them to the utterly exhausted young Baroness
von Witzeblen. Eight days later im pleased to report shes off to a spa in Pyrmont,
breakfasting on roast chicken and new potatoes. (beat) So, my child, three a day
an hour before meals. In a few weeks, you should be fine breakfasting on suckling
pig, no doubt.
BERGMAN:
So, thats all it is, Doctor anemia?
DOCTOR:
Cest tout.
BERGMAN:
And the nausea?
 DOCTOR:
Not uncommon. (turns to Wendla) Trust me, child. Youll be fine. (beat) Frau
Bergman, if I could have a word with you?
BERGMAN:
Certainly, Doctor.
Bergman leads Doctor out. Wendla sits quietly touching the letter in her sleeve.
WENDLA:
Mama..?
BERGMAN:
Wendla.? What have you done? To yourself? To me?
(no response)
Wendla?
WENDLA:
I, uh, dont know.
BERGMAN:
(not a question) You dont know.
WENDLA:
Doctor von Brausepulver said Im anemic.
BERGMAN:
Well, probably. Youre going to have a child.
WENDLA:
A child? But Im not married!
BERGMAN:
Precisely.
Wendla, what have you done?
WENDLA:
I dont know. Truly, I dont know.
BERGMAN:
Oh I think you know. And now I need his name.
 WENDLA:
His name? But what are you.(abruptly realizing) that? How could that? I just
wanted to be with him
WENDLA: BERGMAN:
to hold him and to be close to him - Wendla, please. No more.
Youll break my heart.
(beat)
WENDLA:
My god, why didnt you tell me everything?
(Frau Bergman slaps Wendla)
BERGMAN:
Well, you are going to have to tell me who.
(no response)
Wendla, Im waiting.
(Wendla looks off in the distance)
Georg Zirschnitz?
(no response)
Then. Who?
(no response)
Hanschen Rilow?
(no response)
Moritz Stiefel?
(no response)
Melchoir Gabor?
(Wendla quietly bursts into tears)
Wendla, Melchoir Gabor?
(no response)
Wendla.?
Wendla hands her mother Melchoirs letter. Bergman opens it, and she exits.
Whispering Dani

WENDLA:

Whispering
Hear the ghosts in the moonlight
Sorrow doing a new dance
Through their bones, through their skin

Listening
To the souls in the fools night
Fumbling mutely with their rude hands
And theres heartache without end

Melchiors home.

FRAU:

Hermann, this is our son.

HERR:

For fifteen years, my darling. I have followed your lead, we have given the boy
room. And now we must eat of the bitter fruit. He has shown himself utterly corrupt.

FRAU:

He has not.

HERR:

Hear me out.

FRAU:

But I have. Melchoir wrote an essay every word of which was true. Are we so afraid
of the truth we will join the ranks of the cowards and fools? Twisting his nave act
into evidence against him?

I will not have Melchiors name sent to some reformatory, pent up with degenerates
and genuine criminals.

(Herr Gabor looks away, pained)

WENDLA:

See the father bent in grief

The mother dressed in mourning
 Sister crumples and the neighbours grumble
The preacher issues warnings

HERR:

And now I must break your heart. (Showing her a letter) This afternoon, Frau
Bergman came to see me. Bearing a letter Melchior wrote to young Wendla, telling
her he has no regret for what transpired in our hayloft

FRAU:

Impossible!

HERR:

That he only longs to find again that bit of Paradise

FRAU:

(reaching for the letter) Let me see that.

HERR:

Yes, do have a look.

(Frau takes it, and is horrified by what she reads.)

WENDLA:

History
Little miss didn't do right
Went and ruined all the true plans
Such a shame, such a sin

Mystery
Home alone on a school night
Harvest moon over the blue land
Summer longing on the wind

HERR:

The wretched fact is: Melchior knew precisely what he was doing. And as that essay
shows, he knew the danger of doing it. And yet, he went ahead. Defiling himself and
all but destroying that girl.

So, you tell me, Fanny what shall we do?

FRAU:
 What you will. A reformatory.

WENDLA:

Had a sweetheart on his knees

So faithful and adoring
And he touched me and I let him love me
So let that be my story

Listening
For the hope, for the new life
Something beautiful, a new chance
Hear its whispering there again

EXIT WENDLA

SCENE CHANGE a reformatory, enter Melchior

MELCHIOR:

(reading from the letter): My dear Melchior I only pray this letter reaches you. I
have written so many, and have heard nothing back. When I think of your life in that
terrible place, my heart aches. If only I could be close to you, and talk to you I
have such remarkable news. Something has happened, Melchior. Something I can
barely understand myself

SCENE SHIFTS Enter Schmidt and Bergman

SCHMIDT:

Frau Bergman?

BERGMAN:

Thank you for meeting me. Your name was given me by a, uh, doctor friend. My
daughter

SCHMIDT:

I understand. Now, listen to my instructions carefully. This Thursday, after nightfall,

bring the girl to me. Gartenstrasse, number eleven. The door below the tavern.
Knock three times and three times only.

BERGMAN:

But my daughter - ! The procedure is it safe?!

SCHMIDT:
 We do what we can.

EXIT BOTH

SCENE SHIFTS back to reformatory

MELCHIOR:

in my bed each night, I have so many dreams: of the better world that we will
build, together with our child Child!?

ENTER Wendla. Bergman, and Schmidt

WEDNLA:

But where are we going, mama?

(Frau Bergman leads the girl to where Schmidt waits. Frau Bergman hands him
some marks)

SCHMIDT:

Frau Bergman, good. Ill take her now.

(Frau Bergman pulls Wendla by the hand and gives her to Schmidt)

WENDLA:

Mama?

BERGMAN:

Ill be there with you every moment.

(As Schmidt takes hold of Wendla, Frau Bergman lets her go. Schmidt leads Wendla
off)

WENDLA:

Mama, dont leave me! Mama!!!???

EXIT

Those Youve Known Floyd, Dani, James

ENTER Melchior Graveyard

 MELCHIOR:

Wendla?! Look at this spend your life running from the Church, and where do
you wind up? Moritz, my old friend. Well, they wont get to me. Or Wendla. I wont
I wont let them. Well build that world, together for our child. Midnight. My god, all
these little tombs and here a fresh one Here rests in God, Wendla Berg
No?! Born the Died?! Of Anemia?? Oh my god. Wendla, too? No. No. No.

MORTIZ appears in song light as if rising from the grave

[MORITZ]
Those youve known
And lost still walk behind you
MELCHIOR:
Moritz?

All alone
They linger till they find you
MELCHIOR:
Ive been a fool.

Without them
The world grows dark around you
And nothing is the same
Until you know that they have found you
MELCHIOR:
Well, you had the right idea. Theyll scatter a little earth and thank their god
WENDLA APPEARS

[WENDLA]
Those youve pained
May carry that still with them
All the same
They whisper "All forgiven"
Still your heart says
The shadows bring the starlight
And everything youve ever been
Is still there in the dark night

[MORITZ] [WENDLA]
Though you know When the northern
Youve left them far behind Wind blows
You walk on by yourself The sorrows
And not with them Your heart holds
Still you know There are those
 They will fill Who still know
Your heart and mind
When they say Theyre still home
Theres a way through this
Were still home
[MELCHIOR, MORITZ & WENDLA]
Those youve known
And lost still walk behind you
All alone
Their song still seems to find you
They call you
As if you knew their longing
They whistle through the lonely wind
The long blue shadows falling

[MELCHIOR]
All alone
But still I hear their yearning
Through the dark
The moon, alone there, burning
The stars too
They tell of spring returning
And summer with another wind
That no one yet has known
[WENDLA] [MORITZ]
They call me When the northern Though you know
Through all things Wind blows Theres so much more to
The sorrows your hearts find
Nights falling known Another dream, another
But somehow on I go love youll hold
You watch me I believe Still you know
Just watch me To trust your own true mind
On your way you are not
Im calling We're still home alone

From longing We're still home

[MELCHIOR]
Now theyll walk on my arm through the distant night
And I wont let them stray from my heart
Through the wind, through the dark, through the winter light
I will read all their dreams to the stars

I'll walk now with them

Ill call on their names
And Ill see their thoughts are known
 Not gone
Not gone

They walk with my heart [WENDLA]

Not gone
And I'll never let them go
Not gone
Ill never let them go
Not gone
Ill never let them go
You watch me
Just watch me
Im calling
Im calling
And one day all will know