The Repertory Theater of Angeles University Foundation will end its Fifth Theater Season with the rock musical “Spring Awakening” for a three-week run at the AUF St. Cecilia’s Auditorium, Angeles City starting on February 24, 2010, it was announced by AUF Repertory Resident Director Tony Mabesa.

Professor Mabesa directs the musical with Nelson Sese as musical director; Voltaire de Jesus, lighting designer; Eric Pineda, costume designer; Via Antonio, choreographer; and Mel Roxas as technical director and set designer.

Spring Awakening is based on the original 1891 German play by the same name by Frank Wedekind. The play follows a group of teenagers through their sexual awakening in a provincial, repressive German town in the 1980s. Deprived of parental guidance through the metamorphosis from adolescence into adulthood, the children struggle with puberty and natural instincts, exploring on their own, and suffer unhappy consequences. Steven Sater (books and lyrics) and Duncan Sheik (music) won the 2007 Best Musical Tony Award on Broadway for their version of Spring Awakening.

The rock music score and choreography give the play an uplift to the formal 19th century dialogue that reflects the inner turmoil teenagers progress through this life-changing phase of life. Two themes flow at odds throughout the play: sex and the discovery of it against a restrictive, if not repressive, societal framework run by their elders.

The play poignantly underscores the need to reduce the suffering of youth through education and dialogue between the generations and eliminating the “left behind” tragedy of our youth by embracing children for who they are.

Spring Awakening the Musical opened on Broadway in 2006 and in Manila in 2009. This beautiful musical about the yearnings and awakenings of the youth is enjoying productions all over the world. The AUF Repertory version has a talented all-student cast, guided by professional theater practitioners.

Tickets are available now, 150 per seat; group rates are also available. For more information, please call Ardellen at 625-2888 (local 746) or Sarah at 625-2888 (local 747).