Q&A with Christopher Wood

Role: Melchior

What is your favorite song/scene/moment in Spring Awakening?

My favorite moment in the show would have to be "Those You've Known." I think the song is simply beautiful, and the way it presents each character is fascinating. It is an extremely emotional scene, and it is heartbreaking to watch Melchior go through those re-connections with his friends. The scene is vitally important, as we see Melchior's struggle to survive these things he is realizing are mostly his responsibility. He has to overcome all of this and decide to move forward and carry those people he loves with him. As a performer, that scene is a wonderful release. A lot of the music in the show breaks out of the story to comment on the thoughts and feelings of the characters, and in this scene the music works alongside the plot progression perfectly. I think it is a scene that everyone has some way to connect to; whether they themselves have felt utter aloneness, or have experienced any loss or grief, or been there for someone who has; it carries the essence of humanity. I love this scene because, to me, finding a way to carry on is really the message of the show. And "Those You've Known" is that.

What inspires you to play the role?

Every night there is going to be someone in the audience who absolutely, beyond any doubt, needs to hear this story. The show has an importance to it. The story needs to be told because it is, in many ways, a story about each and every one of us. We've all felt and been exposed to all these things that the characters are dealing with (hopefully further from some than others). Especially when looking at the world around us and seeing people experiencing grief and trying to cope with it every day, it is easy to see that this story is needed. It is filled with loss, and Melchior experiences a harsh amount of it, even feeling responsible for the losses. And it is important for people who are going through similar things to see that it is possible to rise above that, and to continue on. Of course, the show is also one of the most exhilarating shows I've ever been a part of. That doesn't hurt.

What is it like playing in a new venue almost every night?

It's always a surprise. There is usually an "x" factor of some sort, usually the way the backstage space is arranged or the acoustics in the house. It definitely keeps us on our toes.

Do you have a great Guilty Ones moment/story you can share?

Sometimes I will get messages from people who saw the show, and they will share their personal experience and how the show moved them. These messages serve as little reminders of how important our story is, and it helps me stay focused and enthused about the show every single day. Teens and young adults everywhere are definitely still going through situations similar to the story. Usually they find comfort through experiencing the show, and it is one of the best parts of my job getting to hear how important it was to them.

Do you have a great Chair of Rock/Stage Seating experience you can share?

There was one night where we had an audience member getting a little too into the show, and he began joining in on the group choreography. He even started to get up and join the final picture at the end of "Totally F***ed". Turns out he wasn't just enjoying himself, but had 'other factors' playing into his behavior. Maybe he thought he was seeing Hair. Needless to say, when I sat down in the chair on the wall after the applause, the blur of clothing I had seen out of the corner of my eye left us one onstage audience member short. I guess one of our crew members used his best judgment and saved us from having to introduce a new character into our already fully developed story.

What is the weirdest/coolest thing that happened to you or another cast member on stage?

The weirdest thing that happened to me was in Wichita, Kansas on our first performance in the venue. I was running off after the "Word of Your Body" scene, and I usually pass the other guys entering just in time to turn upstage and walk around the back of the onstage seats, put my jacket on, and enter the new scene. Well, this night something was different about our timing, and the distance from the edge of the curtain to the seats, and I collided with the last person in the entrance line. I tried to avoid tripping him by side-stepping around his back, but I stepped on my jacket (which was in my hand) and preceded to fully face-plant into a forward roll, all expertly done in front of our cello player, who watched the whole thing. I think he gave me a perfect 10. In any case, when I re-entered again, I was seeing spots, and I proceeded to perform the rest of the act with tunnel vision and the rest of the show with a mild concussion (you can imagine I was a little off). Although, I did notice the lighting in "Totally F***ed" looked cooler than ever.

Have you been able to watch the show when an understudy was on? What did you think? What was it like?

I came down with a pretty bad sinus infection and had to miss a few shows, and I had the opportunity to sit in the house and experience it from the audience's perspective. It was surreal. It got me so amped up to get back out there and perform again, and I really found a new appreciation for our production after watching it.

What was it like when you performed in front of Steven Sater/Michael Mayer during the rehearsals?

It was really great to talk with them and soak up a bit of their insight. They were both very encouraging and their passion was evident, and contagious. Steven came out to Evansville, Indiana for our final dress rehearsal, as it is his hometown, and that made the event special for all of us. He devoted not only his time and energy, but his whole heart to this show, because he was certain of its power and of the possibility to move souls with the piece. Talking with him and hearing his thoughts on the show only deepened my appreciation of the work, and really helped us understand that the most important element of the show is finding the heartbeat. It doesn't come easily and you can't search it out, but in living with the show for a while and letting it affect you, you inevitably come to find it. For me, that's part of what makes this show so special.

What musical theater role/character outside of the one you are playing now would you most like to play? Why?

I'm a traditional musical theatre junkie, and a role I would really love to play is another young man searching to understand the world, but handling it in an entirely different way. Carousel is one of my favorite shows, and I think Billy Bigelow is a fascinating character study. Like Melchior, his actions deeply affect those around him, and he is forced to deal with them in his own way. He's not nearly as smart as Melchior, but in a lot of ways his strange process only makes the role more exciting to tackle.