Purdue Convocations to present adaptation of Orwell's '1984'

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - The Los Angeles theater company The Actors' Gang will perform a new adaptation of George Orwell's novel "1984" at 8 p.m. Nov. 3-4 in Purdue's Loeb Playhouse.

Purdue Convocations is sponsoring the performances.

This new version of the classic novel was directed by Academy Award-winning actor and director Tim Robbins ("Mystic River," "Dead Man Walking" and "Shawshank Redemption"), who also serves as the company's artistic director. Robbins does not tour with the show.

The production premiered in Los Angeles in February.

The script for the play was adapted from the novel by Michael Gene Sullivan, head writer for the Tony award-winning San Francisco Mime Troupe where he has written, performed in and/or directed more than 20 productions.

In the show's program notes, Robbins wrote about first receiving the script from Sullivan: "I had read the book ('1984') 20-some odd years ago and quite frankly didn't remember some of the passages. I immediately read '1984' again and was floored by its relevance, its insight, its warnings and unfortunately realized that this book was more vibrant and necessary than it had ever been."

The play follows the story of Winston Smith, who lives in London under a totalitarian regime led by Big Brother. The government of Oceania, the nation state under which Smith lives, censors all behavior and seeks to abolish independent thought. Smith secretly falls in love with a woman named Julia, and together they seek to join a group of underground rebels. They are soon entrapped by the state, and are sent to a sort of rehabilitation center for those guilty of "thoughtcrime."

According to LA Weekly, Sullivan's adaptation of this story "makes for a swift (about 100 minutes' running time) and effective retelling. Under Tim Robbins' direction the action never slows..."

The Actors' Gang was founded in Los Angeles in 1981 by a group of theater artists, and their mission, according to their Web site, "is to create bold, original works for the stage and daring reinterpretations of the classics."

Tickets for "1984" by The Actors' Gang are available at the Elliott Hall and Stewart Center box offices at (765) 494-3933 or (800) 914-SHOW. Tickets also are available through Ticketmaster outlets.

Tickets are $34 for adults and $22 for children 18 years and younger, Purdue students and Ivy Tech Lafayette students. Discounts for groups of 10 or more are available by calling (765) 496-1977.

Members of The Actors' Gang will be involved in a number of residency activities during their time in the community. They will be leading master classes and workshops for students at Purdue University and Ivy Tech, and will host a post-show "Ask the Cast" discussion following each performance.

The public also is invited to two free pre-show discussions to learn more about the performance and the contemporary issues relating to the book. Professor Thomas Adler from Purdue's Department of English will present "From Page to Stage - Adapting 1984" at 7 p.m. Nov. 3 in Stewart Center, Room 214C. The lecture will focus on the process of adapting a novel to a play while remaining true to the original author's intent.

Convocations also will hold a panel discussion titled, "Is Big Brother Real? Discussions on Information and Privacy," at 6:30 p.m. Nov. 4 in Stewart Center, Room 202. A panel of academic experts from Purdue will discuss the nature of information available to the public and how the public chooses trustworthy sources.

Source: Kerry Schutt Nason, Purdue Convocations director of marketing, (765) 494-5045, knason@purdue.edu

Note to Journalists: Publication-quality photos of 1984 are available at https://www.theactorsgang.com/press.htm by scrolling down to the link for 1984 press photos.

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