By Elizabeth Fitzpatrick
Features Editor
Senior KT Pagano’s performance SCE, “Spring Awakening,” drew in large crowds this past weekend, with shows on April 10 and 11 in Alonzo G. and Virginia Gent Decker Theatre.
“Spring Awakening” is a rock musical adapted from an 1891 play that follows a group of young teenagers as they experience a sexual awakening and explore the damage that can be caused by a lack of sex education.
Pagano took on the role of Wendla Bergman, a naïve young girl who does not understand her growing desires. Pagano showcased her vocal ability in songs such as “Mama Who Bore Me” and “The Word of Your Body.”
While “Spring Awakening” was not her first choice, Pagano said she chose the show because of the important theme of honest communication and because she felt drawn to the character of Wendla.
“The story really got to me especially because I have some personal experience with some of the darker themes in the show,” Pagano said. “I wanted to have my first experience with [performing intense subject matter] in a safer environment.”
Pagano brought in Visiting Assistant Professor of Psychology Dr. Nikki Hurless as a psychology consultant due to the show’s portrayal of topics including violence, consent, abuse, and suicide. Dr. Hurless shared resources from her classes on sexuality and trauma and talked to the cast and crew about understanding the emotions of the characters while keeping the emotional conflicts of actor and character separate. A fight and intimacy coordinator also helped with the intense scenes, as is typical of theatre productions.
“Even though we’ve had similar experiences, what the character goes through and what I go through are two very different things,” Pagano said. “So, it’s a matter of just creating that divide in my mind.”
Though the show was Pagano’s performance SCE, she was surrounded by a talented cast who also gave standout performances.
Alumni Courtney Poetsch ‘25 and Evan Merk ’25 came to see the show to support their friends. Merk had seen other productions of the show before and was interested to see how Washington College’s production compared.
“[It was] a very different experience watching people you know in a show versus people you don’t but it was really nice to see all of these people I know doing this beautiful production,” Merk said. “I laughed. I cried. I sobbed, even.”
Poetsch was only a little bit familiar with the plot, but enjoyed the performance, finding many of the themes to be important.
“It was just kind of fun seeing tell them this story of adolescence and hormones and oppressive society,” Poetsch said. “It was crazy. There’s a lot of stuff that is still very current today which is very sad to see.”
Sophomore Meredith Bedell was also completely unfamiliar before watching and found many elements surprising, but praised the technical elements of the show.
“You know, as someone who went into that blind…truly fascinating, truly one of a kind. They did a great job,” Bedell said. “The set was really good. It gave Ethel Cain, sort of. Shout-out Warner P. Quinn for the lights—the people’s princess.”
“Spring Awakening” was the final theatre SCE show for the year, but the Theatre and Dance Department is also producing the Spanish-language play “El delantal” on April 19 at 2:30 p.m. Dance Club’s Spring Showcase is coming up as well on April 17 at 7:30 p.m. and April 18 at 2:30 p.m.
Photo Caption: Senior KT Pagano performed as Wendla Bergman in “Spring Awakening” for her theatre SCE.
Photo by Ella Humphreys