A Purple Summer

In February 1999, Steven Sater conceived the radical notion of creating a rock musical from Frank Wedekind’s notorious Symbolist drama, Frühlings Erwachen, and he enlisted his friend and writing partner Duncan Sheik in the enterprise. That night, Sater came home and began writing the first lyric of Spring Awakening: “Mama Who Bore Me” – a lyric which still stands, verbatim, just as he first wrote it.

Ten years later, in the wake of the enormous international success of this groundbreaking, multiaward-winning show, its original director, Michael Mayer, urged Sater to write notes explicating its famously evocative, poetic lyrics.

In rich detail, Sater’s notes address the literary sources and allusions of each lyric. He also writes feelingly of what prompted the songs over the course of the show’s eight years of development. In so doing, Sater expands on his partnership with Sheik and his experiences with original cast members, Lea Michele and Jonathan Groff, now also known from Glee.

These notes will prove invaluable for fans of the show, for all those interested in theater, and most especially for all the young performers who will play the roles and sing these songs.

Author Biography

Steven Sater (New York, NY) won two Tonys, a Grammy, and the 2010 Olivier Award for his book and lyrics of Spring Awakening. Other plays: Carbondale Dreams, Umbrage (Steppenwolf New Play Prize’), ‘The Tempest (Lyric Hammersmith’), ‘A Footnote to the Iliad (NY Stage and Film’), ‘Prometheus Bound (A.R.T.’), ‘The Nightingale (La Jolla Playhouse’), ‘Some Lovers (Old Globe’), ‘and Alice by Heart (National Theatre of London: Connections).