Free Performance Of 'Animal Farm' At George School This Weekend

George School will present George Orwell’s Animal Farm on Friday and Saturday, May 20–21, 2016 at 8:00 p.m. in Walton Center Auditorium. The performance is free and open to the public.

Told from the perspective of a child, the show is being staged as an ensemble theater piece. The cast makes use of the simple set—made up of blocks, ladders, and platforms—to transform these items into something reminiscent of a playground.

Despite this childlike adaptation, the play is a pointed criticism of political oppression under Soviet communist rule. Written by George Orwell in 1945, the play deals with complex ideas in a simple way—through the eyes of animals. In the show, the animals revolt and drive the farmer away, renaming the farm “Animal Farm” and adopting the seven commandments of animalism—the most important of which is that “all animals are equal.”

“The adaptation is written so that a child, played by Adrianna Morales ’16, is reading George Orwell’s Animal Farm and the pictures are coming to life before her eyes,” said Sydney Johnson ’17, production stage manager. “We’re playing with the irony of the piece—it’s told through the lens of a children’s story but it deals with really dark themes.”

To prepare for the show, the cast has studied the Suzuki Method—a physical method of acting that requires actors to build an awareness of their bodies. As part of their preparation the cast visited a local farm, studying the way the animals moved their bodies and interacted with one another.

“The show is very different from other George School shows,” remarked Claire Fishman ’19. “There aren’t very many props and the sets and costumes are simple—the show is all about the actors working from their soul truth and finding their role and portraying their characters.”

Continuing the theme of the year and exploring political tension, viewers may find that the show discusses themes relevant to the upcoming election.

“The story contains very didactic messages that are very important,” shared Sam Balka ’16 who plays Snowball. “There is a reason to tell this story now, especially with the political climate we have today.”

The show features sets designed by Scott Hoskins and the stagecraft students, costumes by Linda Bee, and choreography by Autumn McMillan ’16.

For more information, contact Maureen West, head of the Arts Department and director of the show, at 215.579.6665.