January 9, 2014
From Winter Show director Melinda Moore: This is tough material, but still relevant 120 years later. If you are not familiar with the play, it takes place in Germany in the late 1800’s. The story revolves around a group of teenagers, their parents and the repressive school and political system surrounding them. These 13-15 year old children are “coming of age” and starting to question things like their own sexuality and where babies come from. However, they are met with blank stares, tight lips and answers like “babies are delivered from the stork.” You can probably imagine what might happen when these “uneducated” children are then placed in adult situations…we start to see anger, confusion, a misunderstanding of what it means to be “in love” and finally, a tragic suicide by a young man. At the same time, students are being bombarded with extremely challenging schoolwork and a demand for high-level academic achievement. Failure is not an option and could result in being “sent away” for poor grades.
While depressing and serious, this stuff is still happening today. Our class has talked about the role of social media in teen suicide, the role of the parent in sex education, peer relationships and bullying, teacher support in student life, etc. There are also funny and heart-warming moments in the play – scenes where kids are outside playing, just being kids.
The show is set in the round, which is another huge acting challenge for students, but so cool! You could sit in four different areas of the theatre and see four completely different shows. To see MPA students tackling this material with professionalism, grace and talent is remarkable. They would love your support! I also really think our students will enjoy the show. The language is challenging and there are lots of words, but this show speaks to teenagers. The musical based on this play won 8 Tony Awards, including Best Musical and it has a huge teen ‘cult’ following.
We hope you will join us for an evening of drama!
