No sleep in heaven, or at the Bus Stop Theatre Co-op 

A violin starts strumming; the chatter quiets. Wendla Bergmann (Maude McInnis) gracefully makes her way across the stage and transports the audience to 19th-century Germany. 

Spring Awakening tells the story of sexually repressed teenagers attempting to make sense of the world around them. The musical, derived from Frank Wedekind’s 1891 play of the same name, is a coming-of-age story about self-discovery despite a puritanical culture. 

Related: Awaken this fall with Elevator Theatre Company’s Halifax debut

My expectations were high going into Halifax’s debut for Elevator Theatre — and they were exceeded. Josh Rigo, director and choreographer, did a fantastic job producing Spring Awakening in a refreshing way. For a musical with infinite iterations, this production does not lose itself to the status quo. To make Spring Awakening feel new, Rigo uses captivating choreography, an acoustic soundtrack and careful casting choices, bringing new life to the musical.

No microphones needed, the show runs completely unamplified on the cozy stage of the Bus Stop Theatre Co-op. The theatre was turned into an “alley stage,” where theatregoers sit on either side of the stage — right in the action. This way, every seat is the best in the house. If an audience member sits on one side of the stage, they’ll get a completely different experience from an audience member sitting on the other side. 

With a wide smile, McInnis brings out a childlike innocence rarely seen in the character of Wendla. McInnis taps into Wendla’s naïveté with a cheeriness, making her illusions of the world raw and true. Every time McInnis steps onstage, the audience’s attention is immediately grabbed by her magnetic orbit. Graceful, yet commanding, it is impossible to take your eyes off of her. 

The peak of Elevator Theatre’s production is “Totally Fucked.” The song is a carefree moment of chaos before the show takes a darker turn. Rigo’s choreography leans into the reckless abandon of the lyrics and encourages actors to completely occupy the minimal space. Actors double over on the floor, head-bang,, and jump off pieces from the set. Action is happening everywhere, and the energy is electric. 

Landon Duquette who plays Melchior, the defiant young male lead of the show, is exceptional — a difficult feat alongside this cast of stand-outs. His boyish charm and sly personality may be enchanting, but underneath it all, he communicates the affable side of Melchior quite well. Duquette moves through the show with simultaneous rigour and grace, and evokes a compassionate, gentle side to Melchior audiences don’t always see. The show describes Melchior as someone who “rocks the boat,” but Duquette calms the waves. 

Adult Woman is usually a character to turn your nose up at, but Laura Spencer manages to balance the character’s multitudes with ease. The Adult Woman character fills in for every adult role in the show — every mom, every teacher and every authoritative figure. In one scene, Spencer is the sexy piano teacher that haunts one of the schoolboys’’ dreams. In another, she is a commanding, scary, dictator-like principal character. In the next, she is Wendla’s gently anxious mother. Spencer’s range meets the moments this play requires.

The finale, “The Song of Purple Summer,” is an intense moment of community and reflection. As actors navigate the space, and try to find one another for comfort, a twinge of hope and positivity reigns true after a show cursed with depressing themes. 

While Spring Awakening itself has a distinct production and legacy, that does not mean it is easy to do. Elevator Theatre’s Spring Awakening does a terrific job of being entertaining and original yet raw and shameless.