Authoritarian forces rule over adolescents in an industrial 19th century Germany. Repressed at a pivotal stage in life of new experiences, these adolescents struggle to grasp who they are in a world that has turned against them.

Their anger is overwhelming — and it begins to manifest upon the world. Strange projections overtake the candlelight and sounds of guitars and drums rise, music for which the teenagers have no historical reference point. Lost in their own heads, the teenagers trade their agony for microphones. They become rock stars.

This is the transformative world of “Spring Awakening,” the Broadway-based musical opening Thursday for a two-week run at the Krannert Center for Performing Arts for the first time, according to Bridget Lee-Calfas, Krannert’s advertising and publicity director. Described by its enthusiastic cast and crew, “Spring Awakening” encompasses sex, parental abuse, masturbation, finding oneself, dreamworlds, the birth of adulthood and rock music. This certainly isn’t community theater, as one cast member put it.

“‘Spring Awakening’ is very real in that it doesn’t shy away from any part of the human experience,” said Austin Regan, director of “Spring Awakening.”

“There are intimate scenes between characters, and that’s one of the challenges … we have tried to deal with the material in a way that’s both real and dangerous, like how intimate sexual experiences are between people.”

“Spring Awakening’s” heavy themes not only make the Broadway musical a hot topic, but the material has kept previous renditions banned, Regan said. Long before the musical was created, German playwright Frank Wedekind wrote “Spring Awakening” as a drama in 1890.It was immediately censored.

A full-length version of Wedekind’s play was performed nearly a century later in 1974 from an English translation by Edward Bond, a writer famous for his controversial work. Thirty-two years later, the musical hit stages in 2006 and won eight Tony awards in 2007.

Regan’s connection to “Spring Awakening” goes beyond his encyclopedic knowledge of its history and his own love of the various versions. Michael Mayer, the director of the original “Spring Awakening” musical, is his colleague and mentor. Regan said he has worked with Mayer for over five years as an assistant director of his productions and through developing their own work together. Earlier this year, Mayer recommended Regan for “Spring Awakening” at the Krannert Center, an offer which he said he readily accepted, Regan said.

“There’s little hesitation,” Regan said. “I feel an onus to do the best possible work and be as imaginative and resourceful as I can because I know Michael’s production so well and I loved it so much. I feel a necessity to … do something completely new and different but equally valid.”

Regan said he and his designers have created a physical world that is different than any “Spring Awakening” production he knows of, specifically highlighting his play’s use of video projection. When it came to giving the 19th century-based characters an edgy world, Regan said he found inspiration in concerts and music videos so that he could uniquely incorporate a modern rock sensibility into the play.

Amanda Williams, the scenic designer of “Spring Awakening”and graduate student in FAA, said she worked with Regan to marry the musical scene with the 19th century setting. As a result, the real world is represented by concrete classical columns and the musical scenes are overcome with “unnatural, industrial overgrowth,” Williams said.

“We used a lot of found objects — cables, wheels, metals, junk,” Williams said. “It’s definitely expressive … the overgrowth and ruin gives a sense of how the kids see the word, crumbling and overtaken by the adults.”

Regan’s production and the Broadway musical share a peculiar approach to the adult characters — all of them are played by one male actor and one female actress. 

Adam Thatcher, graduate student in FAA, plays eight adult men in “Spring Awakening,” who he said hold small but important parts in the play. Stylistically, it is interesting that the adults are only played by two actors because they stand against the individuality of the adolescents, Thatcher said, adding that his roles serve as compressing forces on the teens’ lives. He also added that his characters presented him with a unique acting challenge.

“The adult roles give me a chance to play with a number of character choices, physicalities and vocal varieties,” Thatcher said. “I get to explore a whole bunch of ways to make the characters separate from each other.”

Other actors in “Spring Awakening” said they faced their own challenges, particularly dealing with the heavy emotions of their characters. Jaclyn Hergott, senior in FAA, plays the lead female role Wendla, who she described as an intelligent but naive 14-year-old that desperately wants to learn about love, life, pain and the unfamiliar changes that are happening inside her mind and body.

“I don’t take this lightly,” Hergott said in an e-mail. “The themes … in ‘Spring Awakening’ are very controversial, yet they are very real for many teenagers. It is important that I treat these themes seriously in my portrayal. Wendla is a very complex, compelling character and my goal is to show all of her dimensions with honesty.”

Despite the somber tone, the cast and crew emphasize that “Spring Awakening” is not a “depressing, sad fest,” Regan said.

David Kaplinsky, senior in FAA, plays the lead male role of Melchior. He said the play carries the energy of a rock concert. Kaplinsky praised the use of a live music band that he said makes “Spring Awakening” exciting and romantic.

The cast and crew said their experience of preparing “Spring Awakening” was far from miserable as well. Hergott, Kaplinsky and Thatcher said they relished working with Regan, who they described as an exact director but easily approachable and fun to work with.

Regan echoed their support, appreciative of the actors’ commitment and enthusiasm that he said he will miss when he leaves Champaign-Urbana to pursue future projects. But all members of “Spring Awakening” said they are thrilled to finally put on the show that they believe will stand out for audiences.

“This is my seventh play at Krannert, and the detail of the whole package is on a different level than anything I have done before,” Kaplinsky said. “It’s just as much a spectacle.”

“Spring Awakening” will play in Krannert Center for the Performing Arts’ Colwell Playhouse Thursday through Saturday at 7:30 p.m. Performances will also be held April 18-20 at 7:30 p.m. and April 21 at 3:00 p.m.Tickets can be purchased online or at the Krannert Center ticket office.Prices for University students are $10. 

Adlai can be reached at aesteve2@dailyillini.com.