The Awakening of the Spring Awakening Reviewer. [Lusk]

Spring Awakening Review

**Since I was sick during the chicago trip (sad face) I've decided to look at a review of Spring Awakening that was produced recently here at IU**

Not only for half of this review does its author explain the synopsis, but they also seem to break the review down to only bullet pointed thoughts. The lack of paragraphs and complete thoughts is nauseating. Not only that, but the reviewer, after telling you what will happen in the show, goes on to explain what happened. I believe a mark of a good review captures the experience of seeing a specific production. Perhaps this review was bored and decided to mimic that by writing up a boring review that does nothing to entice one to see the production.

The statements that the reviewer did make seemed inconsequential to the merit of a good play.  The comments on the rake of the stage, how close the choreography was to the Broadway version, are all statements that seem confusing to me to be present in a review. The make a comment on the device of pulling microphones out of their clothes for most of the songs. This seems to me and area that could be expanded on due to the uniqueness of this method. Without commenting on this, the reader of the review is conflicted in that the play takes place in 19^th century Germany… yet these characters have obvious microphones and are singing in a rock concert style? The review missed a prime example to expand on this notion and how it affected the play and how the director utilized it. Is this a method that worked or did not work? How did it affect you as an audience member? By exploring this facet of the production, the reviewer could have spared us the synopsis and that the play ends in tragedy.

Also the option of interviewing people should be under more scrutiny. And I’m sure that Matt Burke and Candice Marshall are very lovely, but what authority do they have other than this is at least the second time they’ve seen a production of this show? If that is your angle, then make it an angle; get a statement from them comparing it with some intellect. “I thought it was great”, is not a statement that I feel would pull me into the theatre.