Bare review

Stage Art thrive on putting on musical theatre productions that are rarely seen. For their second outing of 2018, the company has brought to the stage Damon Intrabartolo and Jon Hartmere's Bare, a 2000 off-Broadway show focusing on the lives of a group of students at a Catholic boarding school on the cusp of adulthood. While there are a few themes that are tackled, the story predominantly follows two boys who struggle to come to terms with their burgeoning relationship and the implications this could have on their futures.

Finn Alexander delivers a charismatic and winning performance as the most popular boy in school, Jason. While outwardly he is confident and self-assured, Alexander expresses the doubts, anxieties and fears that reside inside Jason through consistent and effective body language and facial expressions. Adam Di Martino as Peter finds the emotional depth of his character and the audience is able to sympathise with him in his longing for a happy ending. The chemistry between Alexander and Di Martino is undeniable as they explore the excitement and fear of new love.

Spring Awakening the Musical review | StageArt | Chapel Off Chapel

Based on the 1891 play by Frank Wedekind, Steven Sater's 2006 musical adaptation of Spring Awakening continues its exploration of children coming to grips with sex and sexuality at a time where the adults around them will do anything possible to prevent them from growing up. Presented by StageArt, the musical is brought to life by an energetic and committed cast but ultimately falls short of retaining the intent and integrity of the original play.

Ashley Roussety and Jessie-Lou Yates as Melchior and Wendla are charismatic on stage and clearly have the skill and talent to lead a show, however their on-stage chemistry is never given the time to develop. Brent Trotter as Moritz, does exceptionally well with his acting and singing, portraying a boy struggling to deal with the pressure placed upon him. The cast of 15 deliver some strong performances overall but the use of German accents was inconsistent and not always accurate. While the play is set in Germany there isn't a need for the accents, especially if the entire cast is not going to be speaking in German accents. 

Director Robbie Carmellotti has characters present in many scenes that they are not involved in, building on the idea that they all share the same thoughts and feelings and have an understanding of each other. Unfortunately haphazard directing results in scenes that play out overly dramatic, such as the revelation that Martha's dad beats her, while others are underplayed and lack the tension they require, such as when Wendla begs Melchior to beat her with a wooden switch. Carmellotti's minimal yet intelligent stage design is symbolic of the sexual awakening that will eventually envelop these children with a large tree covering the floor of the stage with branches continuing to run along the walls.