By Lonnie the Theater Lady
In the Robert Owens, Wilton E. Hall Jr, and William A. Miles Jr adaptation of “Orwell’s 1984,” every moment is an alarming wake-up call. Big Brother rails against “fake news” and constantly spouts propaganda over omnipresent two-way telescreens. He broadcasts a daily message of “Today’s Hate.” He touts a multitude of wartime “victories” he claims as his own. Those so-called “victories” are reminiscent of former empty promises heard in the U.S. Let’s not forget, “You will win so much you’ll get tired of winning.” The parallels to the present make this play frighteningly relevant.
In Orwell’s world, “If facts say otherwise, then the facts must be altered.” After all, “Who controls the past, controls the future and who controls the present, controls the past.” This leads to the dumbing down of the comrades living in Oceania. Citizens are living in constant fear in their world of no privacy, memory control, and fear-mongering. They’re bombarded with alternative facts. “Freedom is slavery,” and “Ignorance is strength” are two of the most relevant slogans today.
Winston (Ryan Rattley) works at the ironically named Ministry of Truth, where truth is destroyed and replaced with lies. He has in his possession a photograph that provides evidence of a past event that the party has erased. He falls in love with his co-worker, Julia (Veta Piscitella), and has a forbidden romantic relationship with her. The couple meets with O’Brien (Trent Wolfred), a trusted, high-ranking comrade in the privileged inner party. Winston makes the mistake of asking about the past and then acts on rumors of a conspiracy against Big Brother and the government. This lands him and his beloved Julia in a governmental facility where they’re tortured and ultimately brainwashed.
Rattley is a natural on stage. His curiosity, confusion, fear, courage, and pain are conveyed with convincing sincerity and a measure of innocence. Rattley gazes lovingly at Piscitella with a glowing warmth in his eyes.
Piscitella is a likable, sweet, feminine Julia. Her delight in shedding the drab uniform coveralls brings a lighthearted moment of normalcy to the colorless sameness of the world, where individuality is squashed. She has excellent chemistry with Rattley.
Wolfred is well cast as the party loyalist, O’Brien. He looks the part. His nuanced performance reveals a multidimensional O’Brien who is convincingly not who he seems to be — at least temporarily.
In the director’s notes, M.A.C. states, “I hope you don’t enjoy this, but rather wake up.” Mission accomplished. One can’t help but appreciate the talented cast, technical expertise, and the clever, versatile rolling set (Viscaya Wilson, designer). This show is meant to enlighten, shock, and provoke thought, not to provide enjoyment.
Cody Duke’s original musical compositions enhance the action on stage. In the scene where Winston is losing his grip on reality, the dissonant music is wildly effective at creating an eerily alarming mood.
Congratulations to Point Park graduate, Marc Palumbo, the founder of Playbox Productions and the Executive Producer of “1984”. This exceptionally well-done maiden voyage Playbox production is an auspicious start for this new company’s future successes.
-LtTL
Playbox Productions, at Three Stories, 937 Liberty Avenue, Runs December 4- 7. Burgh Vivant followers receive a $10 discount with code VIVANT. For tickets and additional information, click here.
