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Spring Awakening occupies a special place in theatrical history as one of the first plays of the modern movement, a key work of the naturalist school, that is also the precursor of German Expressionism and the principal inspiration of it.
About the author
Frank Wedekind (1864-1918) was a playwright, poet, journalist, actor and cabaret singer, whose works revolutionized European literature, and also once caused him to be imprisoned for nine months for lèse-majesté.
Summary
Spring Awakening is set in a small German town in the 1890s, where adolescent boys and girls grope their way towards knowledge and maturity against the blocks set up by parents and teachers in the name of "morality". Melchior, fearless in his pursuit of the truth, manages to retain his freedom of spirit, but his friends are not so lucky or strong.
Wedekind's controversial play occupies a special place in modern theatrical history as a key work of the naturalist school and the principal precursor of German Expressionism.
Additional text
The best and most enduring German play of its era.
