When my collaborators and I began planning a production of Spring Awakening, we felt it was essential to tell the story in a way that reflected the world we live in. We examined the musical score and considered how, throughout history, music has served as an outlet for love, rage, discovery, and expression. We also found an inherent musicality within the piece that extended far beyond the typical function of songs in musicals — each character seemed "voiced" by a different instrument. We followed that thread, using the show's orchestration to deepen and personalize each character’s journey. The rock style of the score emerges and recedes with Moritz, who led his songs on the electric guitar. Wendla’s musical voice was shaped by the violin—curious and bold in moments of discovery, and fragile, broken pizzicato when she was at her most vulnerable.

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Most productions of Spring Awakening feature an abrupt shift between dialogue and music, but we wanted each character to have agency over their transition into song, both diegetically and within the context of musical theatre. For example, Martha’s song about domestic abuse is led by a cello. In our production, the cello was physically offered to Martha by her friends, allowing her to choose to pick it up and strike the opening notes, exorcising her pain through music. Every musical transition was motivated in this way, with each character forging a distinct relationship to the world of song.

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A church in Brooklyn became home to a jam session of actor-musicians who expressed themselves through music, united by the belief that we can heal, learn, and grow together through a collective experience.