Cordwainer Productions is excited to present its fifth full-length production, and fourth full-length musical Spring Awakening, playing October 18 and 19 at the Courthouse Theatre in Whitby, and October 24, 25 and 26 at Market Hall Performing Arts Centre in Peterborough.

Founded in 2014 as a volunteer theatre company, Cordwainer Productions has consistently brought excellent, cutting-edge and genre-defying theatre to stages in Peterborough and Toronto. For the first time ever, Cordwainer Productions will be premiering a show in Durham, and hopes to bring both opportunity for participating amongst actors and artists for the region, while bringing new material to audiences there as well.

“Spring Awakening is beautiful, interesting, and challenging material” said Director & Producer, Dane Shumak. “Our actors have been grappling with this show since July, and we’re so excited to bring it to audiences in Peterborough, and for the first time ever, perform for audiences in Durham.”

“If you’ve ever grown up feeling like an outsider, feeling like you’ve not been understood, or wishing you knew how to express yourself better, this is THE show of the season for you.”

Although it’s set in the 1890s and based on source material written almost 130 years ago, the issues discussed in Spring Awakening remain imminently relevant.

The show frankly discusses mental health issues, suicide, sexual assault, sexuality, gender identity, and access to sexual education. Each and every single one of these issues remains relevant in our society today – perhaps even now at the forefront of our collective social consciences. It is timely, important material.

In 2008, Spring Awakening was the winner of 8 TONY Awards, including Best Musical, Best Book, and Best Score.

SHOW SYNOPSIS

Based on the 1891 German play of the same name by Frank Wedekind, and set in late 19th-century Germany, Spring Awakening tells the story of teenagers discovering the inner and outer tumult of teenage sexuality. Throughout the musical, alternative rock is employed as part of the folk-infused rock score.

ABOUT CORDWAINER PRODUCTIONS

Cordwainer Productions is an emerging production company focused on developing talented, locally sourced artists in communities where there is little to no opportunity for professional artistic production on a large scale. Cordwainer Productions seeks to perform non-traditional pieces of art that challenge audiences with themes that resonate with them, transcending the moment of beginning and end. The material required to do this is often challenging for the artists involved as well, and the journey from the inception of the project until the completion of the project is, in turn, one that serves to inspire growth and development of the creators as well as the audiences.

More information can be found at cordwainerproductions.com or on Facebook at Cordwainer Productions.