Spring Awakening Would Wound You

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A show aiming to be relevant to the Filipino youth, Spring Awakening is the 27th season finale of the Ateneo Blue Repertory; the rock musical was based on a play written by Frank Wedekind – set in Germany during the nineteenth century where teenagers are in disarray in their voyage into discovering about their sexualities. Such topic is still considered taboo despite the advanced age and technology – the show’s director, Missy Maramara considers this show as a way to make people understand about the views and disagreements between children and adults; the Philippines is still a conservative country and a whole lot of the Filipinos are in the dark when it comes to the matters of sexuality.


The show is still relevant as it was then despite being riled up with “sensitive” issues such as suicide, pre-marital sex and incest rape – the youth today are still being repressed from the information or rather explanation regarding these important issues; that’s why the show aims to retell such important story not only to the children but also with the adults as well. For we live in a country that only listens to the people who are mainly just making noise rather than important stances in our world today and Spring Awakening could make you reevaluate your thoughts about such matter.

Last 30th of March, I was able to witness Sandino Martin and Krystal Kane in the characters of Wendla and Melchior at the Hyundai Hall, Arete – Juancho Gabriel, JP Lapuz, Anthony Peralta, Alexa Prats San Diego and Sabrina Basilio are one of the stellar casts that built the musical’s aura completely. Presenting such realities with instinctive lighting and silhouettes, Spring Awakening brings enlightenment to its audience upon controversial repressed points in life.

The show runs from March 29 until April 14 at the Hyundai Hall Stage, Arete, Ateneo de Manila Unversity. For ticket info, contact Pia Ventura +63 926 7145 057 or Isagani Tan +63 917 7906 739  

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