Fahrenheit 451, based on the 1953 novel by Ray Bradbury, and will open in Lindhurst Jan. 28.
By Peter Celauro
Assistant A&E Editor
In 1953, Ray Bradbury painted a chilling portrait of a mindless, futuristic society with his novel, “Fahrenheit 451.”
Next Tuesday, 50 years later, a live audience will discover if Bradbury’s story still packs the same punch when 29 Pepperdine actors perform his stage adaptation.
And Bradbury will be there to tell them how they did.
“Fahrenheit 451” takes place in a startlingly controlled world in the “not too distant future,” where the destruction of all printed materials keeps citizens in a lifeless, almost lobotomized state. The only mental stimulation comes in the form of vapid television shows and trivia: an effort to keep humans from thinking for themselves.
Enter Guy Montag, fireman. Now that houses are fireproof, his job is not to stop fires, but rather to start them, seeking out books and incinerating them. But when Montag unexpectedly meets a neighbor who thinks outside of the mold, a life-changing epiphany brings his seek-and-destroy mission to an abrupt halt.
“Montag begins to question the morality of his profession,” said Zac Hoogendyk, a freshman theater major who plays one of the firemen. “The play is about his change from book burner to book reader.”
A senior theater and creative writing major, TJ Volgare had different ideas. “It’s about the convolution of the American dream,” he said. “The perversion of technology as a power that supplants humanity.”
Having started working on “Fahrenheit” in late November, the cast, crew and director George Neilson are working out the final kinks in technical rehearsals this week. These tedious, lengthy practices are particularly important for a show like this one; with three projection screens and upwards of 70 sound cues, “Fahrenheit” is not a simple play to produce.
“There are a lot of technical elements in this production,” said Taylor Bartolucci, a junior theater major. “It’ll be different from anything we’ve put on in the past few years.”
Despite the long hours and hard work, the cast is excited about the production.
“Rehearsals have been fun because of all the other people in the show,” Hoogendyk said. “It’s easy to come to rehearsal every night when you like the people you’re working with.”
Junior Lauren Lewis agreed. “It’s a collaborative effort,” she said. “The actors need the sound people, the light people need the actors … it’s one big family.”
Lewis and the rest of the cast are a bit intimidated by Bradbury’s scheduled appearance opening night. The author/playwright is known for his adamant attitude about performances being true to his vision and his words, and his presence in the audience only adds to the pressure.
“I’m looking forward to it, though,” Lewis said. “The whole point of Bradbury’s writing was to make you think. We’re supposed to see that this can happen, that this has happened. I hope what we’re doing gets that across.”
“Fahrenheit 451” runs in the Helen E. Lindhurst Theatre Tuesday through Friday at 7:30 p.m., as well as on Saturday, Feb. 1 at 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $6 for Pepperdine students, $12 for Pepperdine faculty and staff, and $15 for the public. For information or to purchase tickets, call 310-506-4522.
January 23, 2003