Minneapolis high school tackles heavy topics through song and dance
Washburn High School produced its version of "Spring Awakening"
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As high schools in Minnesota open their fall plays, many are producing classics, like Shakespeare or movie adaptations. One Minneapolis public school, Washburn High School is performing “Spring Awakening,” the 2007 Tony award-winning musical that tackles teen pregnancy, suicide, and family abuse. Some may think the mature themes inappropriate for a high school production.
Director John Lynn has a different take.
“This show’s about people not talking and that youth want these answers and they're not getting them,” he explained as a reason for staging “Spring Awakening.”
Lynn took into consideration the sexual nature of the show and hired an intimacy coordinator to ensure the safety of his students in those scenes. He also chose to take a more abstract approach to the show, rather than stage the more explicit moments. He considers the production on the level of a PG-13 movie.
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Senior Marcus Williams, who plays a character who takes his life — an act that is signaled but not shown — said the production team helped make acting in the drama a positive experience.
“The adults have been super awesome,” Williams said. “Everybody’s making sure that we’re comfortable with doing the stuff.”
Lynn also brought in a professional choreographer. With the extra moving parts, the show has been a major undertaking. Lynn is an English teacher, not a full-time theater instructor, and while he has the support of Washburn’s administration, he says his funding is limited.
In an email Washburn Principal Emily Palmer said that the high school’s annual budget goes toward paying staff and faculty, while their theater program is primarily funded by ticket sales and parent support.
“Not every school sees value in the arts. Some schools only see the value in music or in visual art,” said Gregg Sawyer, president of the Communication and Theater Association of Minnesota and a theater teacher at Academy of Holy Angels in Richfield. “Theater educators, in the high schools particularly, tend to be a one-man band.”
Even though John Lynn says funding for future shows at Washburn is reliant on ticket sales, but what is best for his students’ growth decides the shows they produce.
“People say ‘Well, why don’t you do something that our children can come to see?’ Lynn said, “I had to remind people that this is educational theater. My first responsibility always is to the students.”
Washburn junior Catie Bair plays Wendla Bergmann. Getting to do a show like this has given her the opportunity to talk about real-life issues cast members and classmates face.
“There’s always been this talk around it, and now I feel like I actually have a chance to express everything that’s been in my life,” she said. “It’s just been pretty therapeutic.”
