Review: Scena Theatre's 1984 Provides Thrills Despite a Slow Start

If you've never read George Orwell's 1984, the seminal classic examining a world that's fallen under the rule of the nameless Party and their omnipotent leader Big Brother, stop what you're doing and read it now. Or you can just see Scena Theatre's new production playing at the Atlas Performing Arts Center. The show takes a while to amp up but the thrilling climax is performed with such vigor and authenticity that the true dangers of Orwell's devised society come to fruition.

Winston (Oscar Ceville, Guilt) is an average member of the Party living in the year 1984, though the year is ever open to interpretation. After all, is it really 1984 or has Big Brother just said it is that way? As he begins to develop resentment for the Party, he looks to the seductive Julia (Karoline Troger, Vivaldi - the Fifth Season) for emotional and idealistic support. The young couple hopes to join the Brotherhood, who seek to topple the Party from the inside, and the manipulative O'Brien (an excellent Ron Litman, The Night Alive) is all too eager to help. Their attempts are met with the daunting question: how do you topple a system that controls everything in people's lives, including what they think?

Robert Icke and Duncan MacMillan's adaptation smartly frames the story with a dinner party occurring at a dateless time. The high-society members of this occasion analyze the story of 1984 and debate whether the events described are real, fictitious or somehow a combination of the two. This device is a little odd at times but mostly allows for delving into aspects of the story that go far beyond the pages of Orwell's book and the lines of this play.

Mr. Ceville is a dutiful, albeit slightly one-note, Winston. To be fair, Winston is not a very dynamic role-he waivers so much in his ideologies that he can't really be played with much fervor lest he appears too in control of his actions. Until the play reaches its vivid and disturbing climax, Mr. Ceville's performance is slightly questionable. His dynamism is undeniable once he renders his first cry during the evening's emotional peak.

Similarly, Ms. Troger struggles with Julia's characterization at the beginning of the performance. Julia and Winston have an electric energy that is undeniable, so much so that the couple is willing to risk their lives to take down Big Brother, and that energy is never fully felt in Mr. Troger and Mr. Ceville's performances. Again, the complexity of Orwell's work is potentially to blame for this feeling as the couple must intentionally suppress themselves to avoid the glare of Big Brother. Either way, the consistency of their chemistry could have been improved across the performance.

The remainder of the ensemble does well in anchoring the two leads, none more so than the defining supporting role of O'Brien inhabited expertly by Mr. Litman. Expertly walking the line between the Party and the Brotherhood, O'Brien is already one of the most intriguing characters in Orwell's drama. Mr. Litman's performance raises O'Brien from what could have been a simple caricature into a fully developed and compelling villain. Before the climactic moments of the production, Mr. Litman regularly elevates scenes to new heights which drive the action forward.

Robert McNamara (Scena's Artistic Director) does a fine job with the direction. Most of the scenes are fairly straightforward, though, and aren't necessarily filled with any new dimensions. There are occasional moments when the ensemble looks slightly aimless and there is a lot of pantomime that isn't fully fleshed out. Thankfully these moments are few and far between but it can break up the momentum for the rest of the show.

McNamara has gathered a quality team to design 1984. April Joy Vester provides a spacious set which makes the most of the limited space available in Atlas's Lab Theatre II. The lighting, designed by Johnathan Alexander, is serviceable and makes sure that all of the important elements of the show are properly emphasized. Madeline Belknap doesn't have much to do with minimal costumes, but provides a necessary element to the bone-chilling climax through some truly haunting getups. The only element that could have used more refining was in the projections, designed by Jesse Marciniak, which didn't always accommodate the left- or right-hand sides of the theater and left words illegible.

All-in-all, Scena Theatre deftly tackles Orwell's daunting work. There are some bumps along the way, but this story remains vital enough that the small flaws can be easily overlooked. Hopefully, productions like these can help reduce the similarities this tale shares with our current political climate.

Presented by Scena Theatre, 1984 plays through May 27 at the Atlas Performing Arts Center (1333 H Street NE, Washington, DC 20002). Tickets can be purchased here.

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Sam Abney is a Washington, D.C. based arts professional. A native of Arizona, he has happily made D.C. his new home. Sam is a graduate from George Mason University with a degree in Communication and currently works for Arena Stage as a member of their Development team. He is a life-long lover of theater and is excited about sharing his passion with as many people as possible.

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