Written in 1891 and JUST as relevant today! Teen angst and puberty

books:

	• Spring's Awakening Frank Wedekind Applause Books, 2000 - 126 pages average customer review:based on 12 reviews view larger image
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highly recommended

nothing special

this play took me about an hour to read, and moved very slowly in my opinion. I love the musical adaptation, but reading this was not exciting at all, it felt like I was reading it for class.

Written in 1891 and JUST as relevant today! Teen angst and puberty

Who'd have believed that this work, first created in 1891, could still be just as accessable and classic today? But it was - and is- although it was surrounded by a swirl of controversy when first published. The play focuses on teen sexuality, abortion, angst, guilt and all the throes of puberty and adolescence. As of this writing, it has received many Tony Awards, well deserved.
If you don't have a chance to see the play in person, this is the next best thing. If you'd like to hear the music, check this out:

Spring Awakening (2006 Original Broadway Cast)

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Spring's Awakening

I admit I was intrigued to read this play both because I am going to see the musical adaptation in New York and because of the controversy surrounding the content for over a hundred years. The numerous forwards are tough to slog through at times but the play itself is a great read and really captures the angst of youth. Read in 1890 or 2007, this play is relevant to all of us who remember the strange and scary trip that was or is puberty.

In light of this play, society hasn't changed much today

I assigned this play to my drama class this fall. At first reading, I witnessed my students' eyes light up and watched them get involved in serious introspection and discussion for the first time. They were inspired. One ignorant parent contacted school administration, and the play was officially banned from our school and the classroom. What a shame. Sad to say...the narrowmindedness of parents haven't changed much in 100 years. Maybe this parent should read the play and then try to get to know her teenager a little better.

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reviews: page 1, 2, 3

Spring's Awakening is a tragi-comedy of teenage sex. Its fourteen-year-old heroine, Wendla, is killed by abortion pills. The young Moritz, terrorized by the world around him, and especially by his teachers, shoots himself. The ending seems likely to be the suicide of Moritz's friend, Melchior, but in a confrontation with a mysterious stranger (the famous Masked Man) he finally manages to shed his illusions and face the consequences.

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