More theater thoughts.

I saw Spring Awakening for what probably was my last time on Sunday, and it never, never gets old. It's the only show I've seen more than twice and if I could, I'd see it again. I hate seeming like one of those repeat/die-hard fangirls who are obsessed with it, because I'm not at that level. But to be young, seeing a show whose primary goal is to speak to youths, that exudes the passion and dedication of young people--it's moving. It's the reason for art.

And I still maintain that there is absolutely nothing like theater, as a medium. Film is my present preoccupation that borders on a passion, but theater is my first love, and I definitely believe that on some level, you never get over your first love. I never will, and I hope I don't. The only thing I can think of that is remotely like seeing a good, solid theater production is seeing a movie in a theater...perhaps alone...with a good audience. When you see a movie alone in a theater, the relationship is between you and the filmmaker. All there is in a dark movie theater is you and the big screen. No familiar environment. No one to distract you, unless the audience members are jerks. A good audience makes a huge difference. There are movies I've seen at the Walter Reade for this NYU thing that seem much better to me at the time than they actually are. I definitely believe that it is, in part, because I was alone at the theater with a group of people who are film lovers and who wanted a good film experience as much as I did. In a theater alone, there's nothing stopping you from becoming fully engaged in the film.

That's what you get in theater, except you get it live and in person. You can feel the energy, the emotion and the passion, ringing in every actor's voice. At Spring Awakening, on Sunday, I was lucky enough to have stage seating--I sat next to several of the actors throughout the show. It was interesting to see, so closely, their behavior in between scenes, and guess what was going through their minds.

When the show opened and the actors first came out, one of the leads sat next to me--Gerard Canonico, who plays Moritz. Ironically, one of my suitemates at school went to high school with this kid, and performed in shows with him then. I felt him jittering his leg and clearing his chest all throughout the first numbers, until it was time for him to go on, and I saw the one adult woman in the show turn around from her seat in front of me and share a secretive smile with him. I felt him getting himself psyched up for his performance--it was a remarkable experience, being close enough to witness what seemed like his pre-show ritual.

A little while later, one of the supporting roles sat next to me--Matt Doyle, who's Hanschen and u/s for Melchior...and who's adorable, haha--and sat almost perfectly still the entire 10 or 15 minutes he was there. His stance was wider, more relaxed, and I kept thinking my leg was going to hit his as my foot tapped during the songs. It was as though he had had some hyper-awareness, though, a heightened consciousness that he was still on stage, still performing, still in character. He seemed to be concentrating deeply on what was going on, focusing on when he had to sing backup, and on when it was time for him to get up again--and when he did, the grin on his face showed how much he enjoyed it, even with the hard work. His passion and intensity were beautiful.

Later, Blake Daniel (Ernst) was next to me. He sat with his leg crossed like an old man, relaxed, and during the number where the boys all sing and gesture, he elbowed me. Haha. But it was funny: right before he had to get back up, he straightened his collar and adjusted his sweater to make sure he looked put-together still. He sat across from me, also, and I saw him do the same thing, all through the show. I loved how he worked so professionally, in such a routine manner, yet still with huge feeling.

After him, it was the girl who plays Ilse, Emma Hunton. She slouched back and honestly looked like she was asleep half the time. Granted, she'd just had one of her two big scenes. But still. Her approach was so different. And the last girl, Caitlin Kinnunen, who plays Thea, a minor supporting role, sat relaxed but straight, with her hands in her lap. This was only for a few minutes at the end, but it was, again, different from the rest.

It really was unlike any other theater experience I've ever had. I was majorly impressed with the close-up view, not to mention moved, and I've started looking into Matt Doyle's other projects, in particular. I seriously may try to get tickets one last time, because it's closing mid-January. That's one of the things about theater that can be both good and bad: it's alive, and constantly changing. No two performances are ever the same, even when it's the same actor, and cast members are shuffled around frequently. But when a production ends, it's over for good. There may be revivals, and regional productions and such, but it'll never be the same as its original inception. It's fleeting. But I suppose that's part of the beauty and power of it.

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Now playing: Del Amitri - Roll to Me