(Posted October 6, 2005)

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – If Big Brother is watching, he won't like what he sees - but others
will.

Those wonderful subversives at People's Branch Theatre have taken George Orwell's novel 1984 and made it the play to see in 2005.

PBT Artistic Director Matt Chiorini has stripped Orwell's totalitarian nightmare down to its surreal core with his 90-minute script. Director Jeffrey Frace has staged it with energetic, aggressive movement and an eye for both comedy and tragedy. And the company's actors have committed to their characters with a relish that makes them fun to watch.

Winston Smith (Chiorini) lives in Oceania, where individual expression is considered criminal. His world is peopled with those who live in fear of the system, like his co-worker Syme (Samuel T. Whited); those who revel in it, like his neighbor Parsons (Brenda Sparks); those who use it for their own ends, like the sinister O'Brien (Marc Mazzone); and those who would like to overthrow it, represented by the beautiful and vibrant Julia (Holly Allen).

As Smith, Chiorini is a bundle of nervous energy, a jittery chainsmoker who understands the system is insane but knows only too well that he'll suffer for any lapse. His interpretation is often funny, but he doesn't downplay the sheer horror of his interrogation and torture after he runs afoul of the authorities.

Allen, Sparks and Whited are terrific in their respective roles, with Whited doubling convincingly as a shopkeeper whose memories of the past have been conveniently rearranged to fit the present. And Mazzone's menacing O'Brien is evil played to its cold but believable best.

Multimedia designer Nathan Shuppert deserves praise for the projection screen that sits centerstage and provides images of Big Brother (utilizing the head of veteran actor Mikael Byrd) and other Party-approved pictures. Music is also cleverly employed throughout the show, including the Eurythmics' "Sex Crime" and the "Theme from a Summer Place" played by Percy Faith's orchestra.

Frace has tied all the elements together in an enjoyable, but thought-provoking, bundle. It's obvious that he has not only a firm grasp of the material, but also a sure hand in combining technical and artistic elements to create a well-focused show.

Chiorini and company have started their 2005-06 season off in style with 1984. It's satire that defeats theatrical Groupthink - just don't tell Big Brother.

1984 ended its run on Oct. 8. Visit People's Branch Theatre's web site by clicking here.