RIPPED FROM THE HEADLINES  
(WARNING:  this article contains plot spoilers!)

Photo: Henry Stram, Matt Shingledecker, Andy Mientus, Anthony Lee Medina, Kyle Riabko, Ben Moss, Blake Bashoff

Art imitates life.

The pervading society of 19th century SPRING AWAKENING is bourgeois and repressed.  Consequently, the teen characters in the musical are kept in ignorance of their bodies.  A 2005 US News and World Report headline speculates, “Are We Teaching Our Kids Way Too Much About Sex? Or Not Nearly Enough?”

SPRING AWAKENING deals with sex and its consequences, subjects adults don’t always like to discuss with teens.  While the play was originally written and set in 1891, these topics resonate today.  In fact, headlines mirror the events of the characters in SPRING AWAKENING.  Here are some examples, with links to the actual 2008 headlines.

Wendla asks her mother how babies are made in “Mama Who Bore Me.”  The BBC News asks, “Are Better Sex Lessons the Key to Prevent Teenage Pregnancy and Disease?”

Otto sings of the disappointment of unrequited love. The Star Tribune’s headline tells how “Adolescent Love:  It Can Make Teens More Depressed.”

Melchoir counsels Moritz about sex in the song “Touch Me.”  “Effectiveness Of Peer-Led Sex Education Questioned” in The Vancouver Sun.

Marta sings of abuse in “The Dark I Know Well.”  New York Times conveys “Pediatrician Is Accused of Sexual Abuse Of Boy, 13.”

The boys in the musical suffer from nervousness, anxiety and worry when dealing with school and authority.  Winona Daily News suggests “Parents’ Early Intervention Key to Helping Children with School Anxiety.”

Moritz fails out of school and the Kennebec Journal Morning Sentinel discusses “Dropping Out In Maine. No Easy Solutions.”

Pregnancy is explored in “I Believe.”  The Chicago Tribune writes about “Teen Pregnancy and Too Much Spin.”

Moritz threatens suicide in “And Then There Were None.”  The Los Angeles Time notes “Teen's Suicide Prompts Effort to Monitor Bullying in Acton Schools.”

Hanschen and Ernst question homosexuality in the song “The Word of Your Body.”  According to the Los Angeles Times headline, “Teenagers Have Mixed Views On Gays.”

Wendla’s mother thinks about abortion.  The Times reports “Rise in Teen Abortions Prompts Call for Reform of Sex Education.”

The girls in the show talk about Ilse running away from home.  Mortiz writes of running away to America and Melchoir dreams of escape to start a new life. “Runaways Draw National Attention” in The Flint Journal.

Melchoir is sent to reform school. The Atlanta-Journal Constitution records how “Teens Learn To Face Consequences At Reform School.”

Melchoir and the students remember their friends in “Those You’ve Known.”  Volunteer TV reports  “E. Tennessee Teen's Death Shakes Town.”

These headlines show how far we have come from 19th century Germany.  Subjects that were taboo then are discussed today, to help our children transition into adulthood.