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Spring Awakening
First performed in Germany in 1906, Frank Wedekind's controversial play Spring Awakening closed after one night in New York in 1917 amid charges of obscenity and public outrage. For the better part of the twentieth century Wedekind's intense body of work was largely unpublished and rarely performed. Yet the play's subject matter—teenage desire, suicide, abortion, and homosexuality—is as explosive and important today as it was acentury ago. Spring Awakening follows the lives of three teenagers, Melchior, Moritz, and Wendl, as they navigate their entry into sexual awareness. Unlike so many works that claim to tell the truth of adolescence, Spring Awakening offers no easy answersor redemption.
Today, one hundred years after the play's first performance, a new musical version of this essential modern masterpiece is being hailed as the "best new musical . . . in a generation" (John Heilpern, The New York Observer). Franzen's version of the text—for so long poorly served in English—is unique in capturing the bizarre and inimitable comic spirit that animates almost every line of this unrelentingly tragic play. There couldn't be a better time for this thrilling, definitive new translation.
Today, one hundred years after the play's first performance, a new musical version of this essential modern masterpiece is being hailed as the "best new musical . . . in a generation" (John Heilpern, The New York Observer). Franzen's version of the text—for so long poorly served in English—is unique in capturing the bizarre and inimitable comic spirit that animates almost every line of this unrelentingly tragic play. There couldn't be a better time for this thrilling, definitive new translation.
98 pages, Paperback
First published October 1, 1891
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About the author
Frank Wedekind
318books71followersBenjamin Franklin Wedekind, usually known as Frank Wedekind, was a German playwright. His work, which often criticizes bourgeois attitudes (particularly towards sex), is considered to anticipate expressionism, and he was a major influence on the development of epic theatre.
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April 21, 2019Featuring abortion, suicide, a homosexual kiss and some masochism this play about German teenagers first published in 1891 is frequently still controversial when staged. I suppose teenagers will be teenagers while audiences will be disturbed that children don't remain so.
September 12, 2020
Einer meiner Nachhilfeschüler mit Migrationshintergrund fragte mich, ob ich ihm beim Verständnis seiner Schullektüre helfen könnte. So kam es, dass ich Frühlings Erwachen las, das ich nur von einer mehr als 30 Jahre zurückliegenden Aufführung im Stuttgarter Wilhelma-Theater kannte. Mir war noch in Erinnerung, dass es sich um ein Aufklärungsstück handelte. Daher erwartete ich eine etwas angestaubte Young Adult Lektüre. Angestaubt, da sexuelle Aufklärung heute in der Regel schon in der 6. Klasse im Biologieunterricht der Schule geleistet wird. Und auch schon in der Grundschule werden die meisten Schülerinnen und Schüler altersgemäß an die Frage herangeführt, woher Kinder kommen. Auch die koedukative Erziehung hilft, dass die Lebenswelten von Jungen und Mädchen heute nicht mehr so grundlegend voneinander unterscheiden. Das bedeutet natürlich nicht, dass Teenager-Schwangerschaften heute nicht mehr vorkommen und in anderen Ländern auch heute noch zu heimlichen Abtreibungen bei „Engelsmacherinnen� führen.
Frühlings Erwachen geht aber weiter. Dort kommt auch Homosexualität Gewalt � einschließlich sexueller - gegen Kinder zur Sprache, etwa wenn Martha klagt: Papa schlägt mich krumm, und Mama sperrt mich drei Tage ins Kohlenloch. oder Ich lag auf der Erde und schrie und heulte. Da kommt Papa. Ritsch � das Hemd herunter. Und auch Kinderprostitution, wenn auch verbrämt mit der Bonhomie einer Künstlerkolonie unter dem Namen (sic!) Priapia - für den Nicht-Lateiner: Priapus war ein römischer Fruchtbarkeitsgott mit überlangem Glied -, mit der sich Ilse, die ehemalige Klassenkameradin der Hauptpersonen, durchschlägt. Sicherlich erinnern einige der Künstlernamen nicht nur zufällig an Maler jener Zeit, deren jugendliche Modelle häufig auch ihre „Gespielinnen� waren. Wedekind selbst hatte, wie wir aus seinen Tagebüchern wissen, in seiner Pariser Zeit eine Vorliebe für juvenile Prostituierte.
Leider ist das zweite Hauptthema, jugendlicher Selbstmord, immer noch aktuell. Und auch Schulversagen ist weiterhin ein Grund für diesen schrecklichen Schritt. Wobei ich hoffen möchte, dass ich und meine Kollegen nicht mehr so grausliche Lehrer sind, wie jene Abziehbilder, denen Wedekind die Namen Sonnenstich, Knüppeldick, Fliegentod und Hungergurt gibt. Jene Herren reagieren völlig gefühllos auf die Nachricht vom Tod eines Schülers und trachte nach Moritz Suizid vorrangig danach einen Schuldigen unter den Mitschülern zu finden, was ihnen mit Melchior und seiner selbstverfassten Aufklärungsschrift auch gelingt. Seine Weigerung vor dem versammelten Kollegium sich von der Schrift zu distanzieren (Ich habe nicht mehr und nicht weniger geschrieben, als was eine Ihnen sehr bekannte Tatsache ist! � Ich ersuche Sie, mir einen Verstoß gegen die Sittlichkeit in der Schrift zu zeigen!) erinnert sehr an den Auftritt Martin Luthers vor Kaiser Karl V. am Reichstag zu Worms („Ich kann und will nicht widerrufen, � es sei denn, dass ich mit Zeugnissen der Heiligen Schrift � widerlegt werde.�). Und ähnlich wie der Kaiser gehen die tumben Lehrer nicht auf die Aufforderung ein, sondern relegieren Melchior von der Schule. Nachdem seine Eltern, die ihm bisher Freiheit gelassen und zu ihm gehalten haben, erfahren, dass er Wendla geschwängert hat, endet er in einer Besserungsanstalt.
Doch nicht nur das Verhalten der Lehrer, sondern auch Melchior selbst, forderten mich zum Widerspruch heraus. Zu sehr drängt er sich als „Held� bzw. „Opfer� auf. Dabei sind seine Einstellung und sein Verhalten hochgradig selbstsüchtig. Nicht nur verweigert er seinem Freund Moritz moralischen Zuspruch als dieser von seinen Seelenqualen berichtet � ja er scherzt noch über Selbstmord als Ausweg -, sondern fühlt sich im Recht seine Seligkeit zu erkämpfen, sprich Wendla zu vergewaltigen. Ihr mehrmaliges . Nicht! Nicht, Melchior� gellt wie die Vorwegnahme des aktuellen „No means no.�
Aber auch Wedekind verärgert mich. Nicht nur, dass der weibliche Sexualität und Leidenschaft nur als rein passiv auf Mutterschaft gerichtet darstellt, sondern er zeigt in der völlig überflüssigen sechsten Szene des zweiten Aktes eine glückliche Wendla, so als lasse ihr Melchiors Gewaltakt in einem besseren Lichte erscheinen lassen. Kein Wort von Trauma, Schmutz und Angst. Ich hoffe, dass moderne Aufführungen diese Szene unter den Teppich fallen lassen. Trotz dieser Kritik bin ich beeindruckt von der Frische dieses Dramas und davon, wieviel es auch gegenwärtigen Generationen von Jugendlichen, deren Eltern und Lehrern noch zu erzählen hat.
Frühlings Erwachen geht aber weiter. Dort kommt auch Homosexualität Gewalt � einschließlich sexueller - gegen Kinder zur Sprache, etwa wenn Martha klagt: Papa schlägt mich krumm, und Mama sperrt mich drei Tage ins Kohlenloch. oder Ich lag auf der Erde und schrie und heulte. Da kommt Papa. Ritsch � das Hemd herunter. Und auch Kinderprostitution, wenn auch verbrämt mit der Bonhomie einer Künstlerkolonie unter dem Namen (sic!) Priapia - für den Nicht-Lateiner: Priapus war ein römischer Fruchtbarkeitsgott mit überlangem Glied -, mit der sich Ilse, die ehemalige Klassenkameradin der Hauptpersonen, durchschlägt. Sicherlich erinnern einige der Künstlernamen nicht nur zufällig an Maler jener Zeit, deren jugendliche Modelle häufig auch ihre „Gespielinnen� waren. Wedekind selbst hatte, wie wir aus seinen Tagebüchern wissen, in seiner Pariser Zeit eine Vorliebe für juvenile Prostituierte.
Leider ist das zweite Hauptthema, jugendlicher Selbstmord, immer noch aktuell. Und auch Schulversagen ist weiterhin ein Grund für diesen schrecklichen Schritt. Wobei ich hoffen möchte, dass ich und meine Kollegen nicht mehr so grausliche Lehrer sind, wie jene Abziehbilder, denen Wedekind die Namen Sonnenstich, Knüppeldick, Fliegentod und Hungergurt gibt. Jene Herren reagieren völlig gefühllos auf die Nachricht vom Tod eines Schülers und trachte nach Moritz Suizid vorrangig danach einen Schuldigen unter den Mitschülern zu finden, was ihnen mit Melchior und seiner selbstverfassten Aufklärungsschrift auch gelingt. Seine Weigerung vor dem versammelten Kollegium sich von der Schrift zu distanzieren (Ich habe nicht mehr und nicht weniger geschrieben, als was eine Ihnen sehr bekannte Tatsache ist! � Ich ersuche Sie, mir einen Verstoß gegen die Sittlichkeit in der Schrift zu zeigen!) erinnert sehr an den Auftritt Martin Luthers vor Kaiser Karl V. am Reichstag zu Worms („Ich kann und will nicht widerrufen, � es sei denn, dass ich mit Zeugnissen der Heiligen Schrift � widerlegt werde.�). Und ähnlich wie der Kaiser gehen die tumben Lehrer nicht auf die Aufforderung ein, sondern relegieren Melchior von der Schule. Nachdem seine Eltern, die ihm bisher Freiheit gelassen und zu ihm gehalten haben, erfahren, dass er Wendla geschwängert hat, endet er in einer Besserungsanstalt.
Doch nicht nur das Verhalten der Lehrer, sondern auch Melchior selbst, forderten mich zum Widerspruch heraus. Zu sehr drängt er sich als „Held� bzw. „Opfer� auf. Dabei sind seine Einstellung und sein Verhalten hochgradig selbstsüchtig. Nicht nur verweigert er seinem Freund Moritz moralischen Zuspruch als dieser von seinen Seelenqualen berichtet � ja er scherzt noch über Selbstmord als Ausweg -, sondern fühlt sich im Recht seine Seligkeit zu erkämpfen, sprich Wendla zu vergewaltigen. Ihr mehrmaliges . Nicht! Nicht, Melchior� gellt wie die Vorwegnahme des aktuellen „No means no.�
Aber auch Wedekind verärgert mich. Nicht nur, dass der weibliche Sexualität und Leidenschaft nur als rein passiv auf Mutterschaft gerichtet darstellt, sondern er zeigt in der völlig überflüssigen sechsten Szene des zweiten Aktes eine glückliche Wendla, so als lasse ihr Melchiors Gewaltakt in einem besseren Lichte erscheinen lassen. Kein Wort von Trauma, Schmutz und Angst. Ich hoffe, dass moderne Aufführungen diese Szene unter den Teppich fallen lassen. Trotz dieser Kritik bin ich beeindruckt von der Frische dieses Dramas und davon, wieviel es auch gegenwärtigen Generationen von Jugendlichen, deren Eltern und Lehrern noch zu erzählen hat.
November 5, 2010
First thing's first. I need to clarify why I'm only giving this mind blowing musical three stars.
This is not a script to be read, but to be seen.
The script itself is poignant, beautiful and heart wrenching, but there are times when just words don't cut it. Sometimes you need to see the faces, hear the voices -- the strain in Moritz's voice, the heaving sadness of Wendela -- to really understand and feel what's happening. It is a script, so there are stage directions, but that is not enough.
The story is beautifully told and incredibly haunting. It's about the struggle to understand and accept yourself for who you are. It's a story about love and growing up. It's a story about ignorance and people who just don't understand. It's a story about sex and what parents "don't want their kids to know". It's a story about everyone who has ever sat back and wondered "Why is this happening to me?"
If you want to read this script, by all means do it. I am certainly not discouraging it in any way, but do yourself a favor and at least pick up the soundtrack too. Listening to it while you read provides a much more satisfying experience. Better yet, go see it and then read it. You'll have a much better understanding and you'll really be able to appreciate the wonderful writing.
This is not a script to be read, but to be seen.
The script itself is poignant, beautiful and heart wrenching, but there are times when just words don't cut it. Sometimes you need to see the faces, hear the voices -- the strain in Moritz's voice, the heaving sadness of Wendela -- to really understand and feel what's happening. It is a script, so there are stage directions, but that is not enough.
The story is beautifully told and incredibly haunting. It's about the struggle to understand and accept yourself for who you are. It's a story about love and growing up. It's a story about ignorance and people who just don't understand. It's a story about sex and what parents "don't want their kids to know". It's a story about everyone who has ever sat back and wondered "Why is this happening to me?"
If you want to read this script, by all means do it. I am certainly not discouraging it in any way, but do yourself a favor and at least pick up the soundtrack too. Listening to it while you read provides a much more satisfying experience. Better yet, go see it and then read it. You'll have a much better understanding and you'll really be able to appreciate the wonderful writing.
December 17, 2007
An interesting play, that's probably as taboo now as it would have been a hundred years ago. Teen suicide, sadistic and masochistic acts, teen sex, murder, moping, masturbation and depression. On top of all these 'disturbing' elements are some very humorous moments and wonderfully written moments of adult (as in grown-ups, not as a euphenism for dirty) banality and absurdity.
June 3, 2022
war der typ auf crack?
June 1, 2010
Usually, I find reading plays a poor second to seeing them performed, but some plays are simply unplayable. Frank Wedekind’s Spring Awakening (Frühlings Erwachen) comes into that category. Apart from the problem of most of the characters being young teenagers (adults playing children never works), the play needs space and quiet for the audience to think in. There is little of that in a musical or noisy West End show.
Like Ibsen, Wedekind briefly mentions events and then leaves us to fill in the blanks. He may tell us the answer later, or he may not. He teases us briefly with the fourteen year-old who is sick every morning, and only implies Frau Schmidt’s rôle in the matter. Similarly, he goes into immense detail about the facts-of-life essay written by a teenage boy, but leaves us to work out that this has nothing to do with the suicide.
The lies and evasions told by parents and teachers to each other to explain their inadequate parenting are the core of the play, but only as long as the audience can read between the lines. At least we can pause, think, and go back when we read the play. There is no hope of that in a musical.
The censors who banned Spring Awakening in the 19th century were afraid audiences would “awaken� to the fact that social restrictions are there to keep the lower orders in their place. No wealthy parent need worry about their child having a cheap back-street abortion or failing an examination. Money buys sensible solutions to these adolescent crises. The censors need not have worried, as modern performances prove.
Like Ibsen, Wedekind briefly mentions events and then leaves us to fill in the blanks. He may tell us the answer later, or he may not. He teases us briefly with the fourteen year-old who is sick every morning, and only implies Frau Schmidt’s rôle in the matter. Similarly, he goes into immense detail about the facts-of-life essay written by a teenage boy, but leaves us to work out that this has nothing to do with the suicide.
The lies and evasions told by parents and teachers to each other to explain their inadequate parenting are the core of the play, but only as long as the audience can read between the lines. At least we can pause, think, and go back when we read the play. There is no hope of that in a musical.
The censors who banned Spring Awakening in the 19th century were afraid audiences would “awaken� to the fact that social restrictions are there to keep the lower orders in their place. No wealthy parent need worry about their child having a cheap back-street abortion or failing an examination. Money buys sensible solutions to these adolescent crises. The censors need not have worried, as modern performances prove.
January 9, 2021
Can't believe this is my first book of 2021, but hey, at least it helps my reading challenge.
I'm not probably going to write an actual review for this. It was a pretty decent musical with many themes that transcend its time and setting, so can't wait to analyze the shit out of them for class:' )
I'm not probably going to write an actual review for this. It was a pretty decent musical with many themes that transcend its time and setting, so can't wait to analyze the shit out of them for class:' )
January 9, 2023
gave up reading this for german class, watching the playmobil video now
November 3, 2018
The only thing I found shocking about this was how completely the adults were willing to leave their children in ignorance because of how it would offend their own delicate sensibilities. Then again, I'm reading this in 2018 rather than 1918. In other news, I've never read a Franzen book (he comes off as pretentious to me) but I found his take on the musical adaptation of Spring Awakening in the introduction to be amusing.
January 12, 2020
I seem to be the minority here but to me..this was absolute bullshit.
May 31, 2022
Needed to read this for school and let me tell u: worst book EVER😭 wtf I didn’t even understand this book but anyways
July 23, 2022
3.5 stars that turned into 4! It's like when a rather ordinary caterpillar transforms into this gorgeous butterfly...or let's say moth, because moths are beautiful too, but in a rather dark, complex and at first glace hidden and unappreciated way. And so multi-facetted!
After finishing, I was kind of underwhelmed by the book, thinking "Okay. I've read it, what now?" While still feeling somewhat similar, the Wikipedia summary actually helped me a lot in understanding and appreciating all the satiric nuances and socio-critical themes depected in the play (yup, not even ashamed to admit that) Such a short book, really - and yet it has so much to offer! It's essentially about the contradiction between the 19th century's bourgeois sex morality (and the taboo of speaking about it) and the pressure of young adults in their season of sexual awakening who are strongly in need of a proper education in this matter. Similarly, it's describing the more general intolerance and closing-up of adults when confronted with the youth's (justified) curious questions and mental instability (the latter, after all, resulting from this very societal negligence and academic pressure) Here I especially loved the discrepancy between the adolescents having to study an immense load of quixotical subjects (arguably completely remote from real life and any pratical appliances) and them barely knowing anything about procreation-related matters other than it not being the stork who "brings the children" (note Wendla's mother still trying to sell that story to her 14-year-old daughter though...sweet summer child, erm, mother!) The novel has much more to it than there seems to be at first sight (read, actually) and I appreciate that immensely. It's ironically tragic, but in the most humorous way and by the most hypobolical means possible. Sadly I feel that most of it goes rather unnoticed at first and that it needs some proper reflection to be able to find and cherish all the brilliant facettes and details the book has to offer. It's really about so much more than "just" sexual discovery!
The last scene reminded me a lof of the ending of "The secret History" - my probably favourite ending of all time, and therefore another reason I really enjoyed "Frühlings Erwachen" as well. I just wish that there hadn't been such a hard juxtaposition or cut between scenes. A more fluent transition by adding more scenes would have done wonders for a more immediate appreciation of the book.
Still, an iconic read and I can't thank the tv show "How to sell drugs online" enough for helping me discover it! And of course the Wikipedia page for assisting me in its understanding and appreciation :)
PS1: I think it's fascinating to think about the parallels between Ilse and the masked man and how they (not) succeeded in convincing the other person of thr beauty/necessity of living.
PS2: Something probably weird about me - from time to time I tend to read up on catastrophes such as terrorist attacks and mass shootings. It's a rather concerning rabbit hole, but I think most people are morbid one way or another, and it helps me in viewing the world as not the innocent and idealistic place I always pretend it to be (just INFP things) ANYWAY, I was reading a lot about the Parkland shooting over the last couple of days. And now I've just read in the Wiki that there were actually posters for the theatre group's performance of "Spring Awakening" (the book's english title" in the shot-up class rooms. Coincidences are so weird sometimes.
After finishing, I was kind of underwhelmed by the book, thinking "Okay. I've read it, what now?" While still feeling somewhat similar, the Wikipedia summary actually helped me a lot in understanding and appreciating all the satiric nuances and socio-critical themes depected in the play (yup, not even ashamed to admit that) Such a short book, really - and yet it has so much to offer! It's essentially about the contradiction between the 19th century's bourgeois sex morality (and the taboo of speaking about it) and the pressure of young adults in their season of sexual awakening who are strongly in need of a proper education in this matter. Similarly, it's describing the more general intolerance and closing-up of adults when confronted with the youth's (justified) curious questions and mental instability (the latter, after all, resulting from this very societal negligence and academic pressure) Here I especially loved the discrepancy between the adolescents having to study an immense load of quixotical subjects (arguably completely remote from real life and any pratical appliances) and them barely knowing anything about procreation-related matters other than it not being the stork who "brings the children" (note Wendla's mother still trying to sell that story to her 14-year-old daughter though...sweet summer child, erm, mother!) The novel has much more to it than there seems to be at first sight (read, actually) and I appreciate that immensely. It's ironically tragic, but in the most humorous way and by the most hypobolical means possible. Sadly I feel that most of it goes rather unnoticed at first and that it needs some proper reflection to be able to find and cherish all the brilliant facettes and details the book has to offer. It's really about so much more than "just" sexual discovery!
The last scene reminded me a lof of the ending of "The secret History" - my probably favourite ending of all time, and therefore another reason I really enjoyed "Frühlings Erwachen" as well. I just wish that there hadn't been such a hard juxtaposition or cut between scenes. A more fluent transition by adding more scenes would have done wonders for a more immediate appreciation of the book.
Still, an iconic read and I can't thank the tv show "How to sell drugs online" enough for helping me discover it! And of course the Wikipedia page for assisting me in its understanding and appreciation :)
PS1: I think it's fascinating to think about the parallels between Ilse and the masked man and how they (not) succeeded in convincing the other person of thr beauty/necessity of living.
PS2: Something probably weird about me - from time to time I tend to read up on catastrophes such as terrorist attacks and mass shootings. It's a rather concerning rabbit hole, but I think most people are morbid one way or another, and it helps me in viewing the world as not the innocent and idealistic place I always pretend it to be (just INFP things) ANYWAY, I was reading a lot about the Parkland shooting over the last couple of days. And now I've just read in the Wiki that there were actually posters for the theatre group's performance of "Spring Awakening" (the book's english title" in the shot-up class rooms. Coincidences are so weird sometimes.
June 2, 2013
Poor or non-existent sex education can lead to such undesirable results as rape, suicide and teen-age pregnancy. Illegal abortion can lead to death.
Well, preaching to the converted, there. The trouble is that the un-converted are the kind of people who would get outraged by a play like this and try to ban its performance or publication. I would like to think the problem is not as severe now as at the time of its initial publication but here in Britain it is still possible for parents to prevent their children from attending sex-ed classes if they want to. The children of such parents seem likely to be the ones who stand in most need of it, though, so complacency is not an option.
The play itself is, in this version, short and readable and has a completely bizarre final act. Who is the masked man?
Well, preaching to the converted, there. The trouble is that the un-converted are the kind of people who would get outraged by a play like this and try to ban its performance or publication. I would like to think the problem is not as severe now as at the time of its initial publication but here in Britain it is still possible for parents to prevent their children from attending sex-ed classes if they want to. The children of such parents seem likely to be the ones who stand in most need of it, though, so complacency is not an option.
The play itself is, in this version, short and readable and has a completely bizarre final act. Who is the masked man?
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 16, 2013
Having read this after watching the musical, it frustrates me even further that the musical version turned the rape scene into a love scene.. (although I'm not really buying the love scene anyway because Wendla had no real understanding of what was going on in both the play and musical). The rest of the changes are minor in comparison, I guess, but there were a lot of them. I do love that the themes of sexuality, education, religion, etc are still prevalent today in the same exact ways they are prevalent in the play, which was written in 1891. If anything this is a good reminder that being a teenager can totally suck.
October 28, 2019
This is genuinely a good translation, but as is always the case with Jonathan Franzen, does he really have to be such an asshole about it? No translation but his is worth reading; no interpretation of the text but his is valid. Get over yourself, dude.
October 30, 2017
Ein wichtiges Theaterstück heutzutage wie seinerzeit! Ich kann mir gut vorstellen, wie sogar das heutige Publikum eine getreue Aufführung des Stückes als skandalös bezeichnen würde.
March 19, 2021
Ενα έργο που μιλάει για μια παρέα εφήβων που ανακαλύπτουν το σώμα τους, την σεξουαλικοτητα τους μέσα σε μια ασφυκτική κοινωνία που θεωρεί το γυμνό σώμα ντροπή. Βία, αυτοκτονία, έρωτας, ρομαντισμός μέσα σε αυτήν την κοινωνία που σε πνίγει. Γραμμένο το 1891,δυστυχώς φαντάζει σημερινό...
June 8, 2025
head in hands....
April 22, 2022
A rollercoaster through the tragedies of adolescence.
July 5, 2022
This is my favourite musical.
In its original form, as a play, it is too dense to be enjoyable. There are no stage directions and everything feels like a long soliloquoy that it sometimes feels like nobody is talking to each other in this story. I don't feel like there are good conversational dynamics and lighthearted scenes in the script itself, that adaptations have now included, for the better.
I wouldn't recommend reading this unless you have seen it performed, especially as the musical.
It's still better than The Lulu Plays, by comparison those feel like a transgressive series of plays written "as practice" so that Wedekind would have the guts to write about the heavy themes in Spring Awakening (abortion suicide, and rape). There are many more ideas here than in The Lulu Plays, and Edward Bond does an excellent job describing it.
In its original form, as a play, it is too dense to be enjoyable. There are no stage directions and everything feels like a long soliloquoy that it sometimes feels like nobody is talking to each other in this story. I don't feel like there are good conversational dynamics and lighthearted scenes in the script itself, that adaptations have now included, for the better.
I wouldn't recommend reading this unless you have seen it performed, especially as the musical.
It's still better than The Lulu Plays, by comparison those feel like a transgressive series of plays written "as practice" so that Wedekind would have the guts to write about the heavy themes in Spring Awakening (abortion suicide, and rape). There are many more ideas here than in The Lulu Plays, and Edward Bond does an excellent job describing it.
March 31, 2015
My goodness.
I can't speak for how one would interpret this book if they only read it, and hadn't seen the show beforehand, but let me say, that when I read it, I see the play running through my mind's eye behind the words I read. It's mesmerizing as a show; loud and in your face with the music, though with incredibly tender moments. As a book though, you just fly through it, getting the little nuances that you missed or couldn't quite hear when you see it. Suddenly, the characters are left to your interpretation, rather than the actors'. Such a different experience and I think that everyone needs the book.
Of course, you have to see the show too. Now.
I can't speak for how one would interpret this book if they only read it, and hadn't seen the show beforehand, but let me say, that when I read it, I see the play running through my mind's eye behind the words I read. It's mesmerizing as a show; loud and in your face with the music, though with incredibly tender moments. As a book though, you just fly through it, getting the little nuances that you missed or couldn't quite hear when you see it. Suddenly, the characters are left to your interpretation, rather than the actors'. Such a different experience and I think that everyone needs the book.
Of course, you have to see the show too. Now.
October 10, 2013
My favorite.
I mean I have tattoo of this musical...
Rating it 5 stars is an understatement.
EDIT: 2 of my tattoos are lyrics from this musical.
I mean I have tattoo of this musical...
Rating it 5 stars is an understatement.
EDIT: 2 of my tattoos are lyrics from this musical.
September 3, 2016
You know what I'd also like to have? A gloss of the ASL used in the show.
January 5, 2023
Kein Kommentar. Halt Schullektüre nh
October 12, 2023
It is so bad, I want to give you a zero
But that‘s not possible, so I give you a one
But that‘s not possible, so I give you a one
May 10, 2024
Muss halt einfach nicht sein!
May 27, 2024
drama
April 15, 2025
Nachtrag
Read
March 5, 2025Welcome ladies and gentlemen to the most unexpected reading I've done in...years???
Once upon a time there was this teenage girl and her friend sitting in German class and being forced to read this play at high school. We were all in our headspace back then and let's be honest, we still are BUT times change. Why? Well, mainly cuz of Jonathan Groff (hahaha I'm kidding I'm sorry! But actually, maybe I'm not)
So, I've been a big fan of Jonathan Groff since Hamilton, Glee, Kristoff... And then a couple of years ago I discovered that his starting point was actually the musical spring awakening. And I was like HOLD UP I KNOW THIS WE READ THAT PLAY. So I ofc put this musical on my list, but I put off listening to it until now recently I guess. I suddenly had a new found motivation bc I was craving some Groff. But I will stop talking about him bc this review is about SPRING AWAKENING. Reiß dich zusammen!! Und hiermit switchen wir Mal auf deutsch weil das Stück es ebenfalls ist:))
Ich werde aber trotzdem auch das Musical referencen weil ich Lust hab. Also, ich hab das Musical zu zwei Dritteln gehört, sogar ein bootleg gefunden, und dann hat mich die Neugier übernommen und ich hatte Lust das Stück nochmal für mich zu lesen. Schule ist eine sehr weirde Zeit irgendwie, und obwohl ich das Stück schon damals nicht schlecht fand, war es ein kleines bisschen weird (aber auch interessant zugleich). Die Art wie das Musical die Charaktere und den Plot gehandelt hat war so cool, sodass ich eben noch mehr content haben wollte und zum Original zurückgekommen bin. Ich hätte niemals gedacht dass das mein erster read von 2025 wird lol, aber hey, es war bereichernd! Ich find retrospektiv macht es total Sinn wenn es Teil vom Curriculum ist. Das Stück war sehr ahead of its time und zeigt ua. wie wichtig Aufklärung ist, wie wichtig Unterstützung ist, behandelt aber so viele wichtige Themen dass ich es gar nicht aufzählen kann oder möchte. Mein Fazit ist; wichtiges Stück, Charaktere die bei einem bleiben, und regt dazu an, über das Leben zu philosophieren.
Überraschenderweise, da ich mich so auf Groff gefreut hab der unseren Melchior spielt, fand ich die Songs von Moritz im Musical besonders relatable. Ich sag nur the bitch of living. Oh, als letztes wollte ich noch sagen, dass es ja nicht umsonst eine "Kindertragödie" ist, also wenn ihr was leichtes erwartet, walk on:))
Once upon a time there was this teenage girl and her friend sitting in German class and being forced to read this play at high school. We were all in our headspace back then and let's be honest, we still are BUT times change. Why? Well, mainly cuz of Jonathan Groff (hahaha I'm kidding I'm sorry! But actually, maybe I'm not)
So, I've been a big fan of Jonathan Groff since Hamilton, Glee, Kristoff... And then a couple of years ago I discovered that his starting point was actually the musical spring awakening. And I was like HOLD UP I KNOW THIS WE READ THAT PLAY. So I ofc put this musical on my list, but I put off listening to it until now recently I guess. I suddenly had a new found motivation bc I was craving some Groff. But I will stop talking about him bc this review is about SPRING AWAKENING. Reiß dich zusammen!! Und hiermit switchen wir Mal auf deutsch weil das Stück es ebenfalls ist:))
Ich werde aber trotzdem auch das Musical referencen weil ich Lust hab. Also, ich hab das Musical zu zwei Dritteln gehört, sogar ein bootleg gefunden, und dann hat mich die Neugier übernommen und ich hatte Lust das Stück nochmal für mich zu lesen. Schule ist eine sehr weirde Zeit irgendwie, und obwohl ich das Stück schon damals nicht schlecht fand, war es ein kleines bisschen weird (aber auch interessant zugleich). Die Art wie das Musical die Charaktere und den Plot gehandelt hat war so cool, sodass ich eben noch mehr content haben wollte und zum Original zurückgekommen bin. Ich hätte niemals gedacht dass das mein erster read von 2025 wird lol, aber hey, es war bereichernd! Ich find retrospektiv macht es total Sinn wenn es Teil vom Curriculum ist. Das Stück war sehr ahead of its time und zeigt ua. wie wichtig Aufklärung ist, wie wichtig Unterstützung ist, behandelt aber so viele wichtige Themen dass ich es gar nicht aufzählen kann oder möchte. Mein Fazit ist; wichtiges Stück, Charaktere die bei einem bleiben, und regt dazu an, über das Leben zu philosophieren.
Überraschenderweise, da ich mich so auf Groff gefreut hab der unseren Melchior spielt, fand ich die Songs von Moritz im Musical besonders relatable. Ich sag nur the bitch of living. Oh, als letztes wollte ich noch sagen, dass es ja nicht umsonst eine "Kindertragödie" ist, also wenn ihr was leichtes erwartet, walk on:))
June 28, 2022
I watched the play of this first (found on YouTube, thank you people) and it was definitely interesting. It’s about 1890s Germany and teenagers growing up and grappling with the strict Lutheran rules they’ve known their whole lives.
I felt like I was just reading an old version of The Perks of Being a Wallflower because it deals with so many of the same themes. There’s suicide, abortions, coming to terms with homosexuality, and so on and so forth. So, some pretty heavy stuff. The play was a lot more emotional for me because the music is so beautiful! The play adaptation is also fairly different from the original script, but I think it’s better that way.
I think this is a good read for parents and teens alike because you really see firsthand the problems that arise when you don’t have open conversations with people!! A big plot point is Wendla’s mom refusing to tell her where children come from�.which comes back to bite them later.
I also think this would be a wonderful read for people (cough SCOTUS cough) who think that abortions will stop once they become illegal! Nice try. The problem in this book is the lack of sex education! So maybe we have something to learn from this after all.
I liked the play a lot (had to skip through some parts because it got a lil explicit and my innocent eyes didn’t want to see that) but the original script was eh. I’m definitely glad I watched it first because otherwise I would’ve been confused out of my mind. A lot is implied and not written, but you definitely see everything in the screen version.
It was also like 80-something pages so it was a quick read. I don’t think I’d really recommend the screenplay but the play itself was fun, if not a bit raunchy at times.
I felt like I was just reading an old version of The Perks of Being a Wallflower because it deals with so many of the same themes. There’s suicide, abortions, coming to terms with homosexuality, and so on and so forth. So, some pretty heavy stuff. The play was a lot more emotional for me because the music is so beautiful! The play adaptation is also fairly different from the original script, but I think it’s better that way.
I think this is a good read for parents and teens alike because you really see firsthand the problems that arise when you don’t have open conversations with people!! A big plot point is Wendla’s mom refusing to tell her where children come from�.which comes back to bite them later.
I also think this would be a wonderful read for people (cough SCOTUS cough) who think that abortions will stop once they become illegal! Nice try. The problem in this book is the lack of sex education! So maybe we have something to learn from this after all.
I liked the play a lot (had to skip through some parts because it got a lil explicit and my innocent eyes didn’t want to see that) but the original script was eh. I’m definitely glad I watched it first because otherwise I would’ve been confused out of my mind. A lot is implied and not written, but you definitely see everything in the screen version.
It was also like 80-something pages so it was a quick read. I don’t think I’d really recommend the screenplay but the play itself was fun, if not a bit raunchy at times.
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