Content warning: This article contains mention of rape, suicide and sexual violence.
The Department of Theatre and Drama at the University of Wisconsin-Madison is performing the Broadway smash “Spring Awakening” through April 27 at the Mitchell Theatre, highlighting intimacy and sexuality in the face of social taboos.
First written in 1891, the play by Frank Wedekind explores topics of sexuality, mental health and abuse. Following a group of teenagers in a provincial town in 19th-century Germany, Wedekind tells a story of youthful curiosity clashing with strict adult figures. While “Spring Awakening” has lived countless lives, the campus production’s director Erica Berman and Dramaturg Anna Gerbarski see the work as just as applicable to the world we live in today.
“Today, just as in 1891, adults make cataclysmic decisions and youth are left with the consequences,” Berman wrote in her director's note. “The music in this piece, the inner worlds of these characters, shows their curiosity, imagination and radical hope for a better world.”
The bright-eyed teenager Wendla Berman (Maya Buffomante) opens the show by begging her mother to tell her where babies come from, claiming she is too old to believe in the childhood myth of a stork. Her mother's refusal to explain highlights the “adultism” which leads Wendla and her classmates to become frustrated with their ignorance to their own sexuality.
Through a feminist retelling, Berman expresses the complex sexual and emotional development of the characters across gender.
“In our production, it was vital to allow the female characters to express sexual desire and the male characters to express emotional desire,” she wrote in her director's note.
The childlike naivety in conjunction with bold assertiveness in the portrayal of Wendla by Buffomante characterizes her interaction with others. In her romantic strides with the small-town golden boy Melchior (Jonathan Pufall), we see the cautious strides of young love and lust. The comradery between Melchior and his classmate Moritz (Andrew Linden), who is wracked with anxieties about his own sexual impulses, is strengthened by the chemistry between Linden and Pufall.
A score of rock music, with standout performances by ensemble members like Teddy Seward in “Bitch of Living,” paints a picture of teenage frustration, both sexually and raging against the rigid taboo that limits their expression. Through set design, adult characters like the mother and schoolteachers — many of them played by the versatile Chloe Maier — often appear on lofted structures above the teenagers, making decisions about their lives without directly interacting.
These decisions made by the adults can have fatal consequences. Through the song “And Then There Were None,” Andrew Linden (Moritz) portrays a haunting example of confusion, pain and frustration as a direct result of choices made by his schoolteachers.
“Spring Awakening” does not shy away from the topics which social taboo against sexuality often try to keep hidden, highlighting stories of abuse and rape.
The show explores the consequences of lacking informed consent in “I Believe,” where a moment of hesitation and uncertainty transforms into rape without proper sexual education.
In emotionally charged and powerful vocals, Anais Jones shines through her heart-wrenching depiction of Martha, who is assaulted by her father. The use of strong ensemble vocals highlights the pervasiveness of sexual assault, showing that Martha is not alone in her experiences.
To Buffomante, Wendla’s story must depict her as more than a victim or cautionary tale, but a symbol of the dangers of suppressing information about sexuality and intimacy.
“She represents the tragic consequences of a society that refuses to educate or empower young women,” Buffomante told The Daily Cardinal. “As an actor, you’re not just showing the raw emotional pain of the character, but you’re also portraying the systemic oppression that contributes to that pain. It’s emotionally exhausting, but also necessary. Telling Wendla’s story truthfully feels like an act of advocacy and the greatest gift at the same time.”
When portraying incidents of rape and suicide, Berman was careful to develop an atmosphere that was responsible when handling such intimate topics.
“We prioritized consent in the rehearsal room and made consent (or the lack of it) in the lives of these characters much more explicit. We also used the National Action Alliance for Suicide Prevention standards as a guidepost,” she wrote in her director's note.
“Spring Awakening” was a hit, selling out in its first two shows and leading to limited tickets in its upcoming week. The themes of teenage frustration, generational divide and intimacy resonate with audience members.
“To be honest, I was in tears throughout the performance — the show presents an authentic view into the struggles of growing up and being a teenager, and every actor’s performance was fantastic,” said freshman Jessica Douglass.
In the eyes of Buffomante, reactions like these are exactly what makes Spring Awakening relevant in 2025.
“We're seeing a resurgence of book bans and curriculum censorship, particularly around topics like sexuality, gender identity and mental health,” she said. “The tragic outcomes in the story are a direct result of the adults' refusal to provide truthful information, empathy, or space for young people to question and understand the world around them. The show becomes a mirror of our current society, asking: What happens when we don’t let teenagers ask questions?”
