By Andrew Hamlin
NORTHWEST ASIAN WEEKLY
Caitlin Sarwono (Photo Credit: Rosemary Dai Ross)
The “Spring Awakening” rock musical, playing in June at Seattle’s 5th Avenue Theatre, takes the audience on a whirlwind tour of sexual awakening, teen pregnancy, abuse, violence, bullying, and death.
For Seattle’s own Caitlin Sarwono, cast as the female lead, Wendla Bergmann, taking the part meant sorting out her character’s inner psychology.
Wendla starts out “innocent and very trusting, which ends up leading to her downfall,” said Sarrwano. “She deals with the discovery of her body and the reality of her world, and struggles with toeing the line between what she wants and what she’s been told is wrong her whole life.”
Sarwono, an Indonesian with Chinese ancestry, grew up in Redmond and moved to Seattle during the pandemic, to study at the University of Washington.
The acting bug came early, she remembered.
“My sister and I loved watching Disney Channel movies like ‘The Cheetah Girls’ and ‘High School Musical’ growing up, and I remember trying to learn the songs and dances and recreating them. Taylor Swift’s ‘Fearless’ was an album we also listened to and sang together a lot.”
She grew up doing shows at the Redmond Academy of Theatre Arts with Artistic Director Kelly Willis and at the Ballyhoo Theatre with Artistic Director Shileah Corey.
“Through them, I learned that I shouldn’t put myself in a box, and that I am the most authentic in my performance when I let go of the stress of trying to reach perfection.”
She went to work at the Redmond Academy, teaching young adult students how to act through song, on top of developing vocal technique.
Her other job involves teaching music in general, to much younger folk—elementary school students.
“I took a Kodaly course, which is a specific methodology for teaching elementary students, and I have combined those methods with what I have learned from my teaching partner at Lakeview Elementary, Rachel Brackett, who uses folk songs to teach life lessons to the kids through music.”
She passed muster at a 5th Avenue general audition, and took part in their production of “The Little Mermaid.” To audition for the part of Wendla, she sang “The Chain” by Ingrid Michaelson and Phoebe Bridgers’ “Georgia.”
“I got the opportunity to read for Wendla, and read with Ricky [Spaulding, as male lead Melchior Gabor] in my callback. I got my official ‘yes’ a few days later, on my birthday actually! Best birthday present ever!”
Sarwono had plenty of praise for Spaulding.
“I have never met anyone so in touch with themselves and their character in the way he is. We have a lot of hard scenes together and I’m very happy that I have a co-star that I can trust so much.”
But she was also quick to single out the show’s director, Jay Santos.
“I learn something new from her every single day. She encourages us to play and find the best way to tell this story.
“I’d say one of the hardest parts of putting this show together is the amount of heavy content touched on in the show and how we have to drop in and out of scenes. What helps me is to clearly separate myself from my character, reminding myself that it isn’t me going through these things, it’s Wendla.”
Asked her favorite number from the show, Sarwono singled out the reprise of “Mama Who Bore Me.”
“It’s one of the only times all of the ‘girls’ in the show get to sing together and it’s really powerful, both vocally and emotionally.”
“Spring Awakening” plays June 7-30 at the 5th Avenue Theatre in Seattle.
For prices, showtimes, and other information, visit https://www.5thavenue.org/shows/2023-2024/spring-awakening.