Spring Awakening in Greenville

                I just returned from a weekend in Greenville, SC in which I saw Spring Awakening twice, both times on stage!  This brings my total times seeing Spring Awakening up to four.  It’s not enough, but that’s for another blog post another day.  Nonetheless, being on stage for the show was the most amazing experience ever.  It was so cool to be so close to the actors.  I was moved to tears on Saturday night by the expressions on the actors’ faces during Moritz’s funeral.  It was beyond words.  I recommend it to absolutely everyone.  The lighting design took on a whole new dimension for me as I was immersed in it.  The switch to neon lighting during the rock-and-roll moments, the lowering of blue lights during Mirror-Blue Night, it was all amazing. 

The one thing that was more difficult on stage was noticing which art pieces were illuminated during which musical numbers/scenes.  As much as I enjoyed the show seeing it from the house, getting to sit right next to the performers was so thrilling.  After intermission, I (along with the girls sitting next to me) was able to talk to one of the swings about her experiences as a cast member.  I asked her about being an understudy and we chatted about the show.  I don’t think there is any other theater experience like that, in which you can interact with performers during intermission.  I still can’t get over how cool that was.

Also, I waited at the stage door and got cast autographs.  It was raining out, but the cast was so friendly and it was so cool to meet them!  It was my first ever stage door experience, and I’m so glad it was with this show and this cast.  It was surreal that these awesome performers would come out, sign some playbills, take a few pictures with fans, and then just walk off downtown to have dinner together with relative anonymity.  That doesn’t happen really in Hollywood.  It’s a theater thing.  They have such devoted fans, but they get to know that their fans are in it for the right reasons.  I don’t know firsthand, but I get the vibe that actors who pretty much stick with the theater community get the best of both worlds.  They get to live this awesome life on stage with fellow actors and create that bond and they have dedicated fans, but there aren’t paparazzi sitting outside the stage door waiting to pounce.  It seems like they get to lead more “normal” lives than movie stars.  Frankly, I would choose the theater community over Hollywood any day.