MEDIA CONTACT:
Peggy Kearns Dean
t: 571.216.5136
e: ScenaMedia@gmail.com
Scena Theatre presents the timely drama 1984 on April 30 at the Atlas Performing Arts Center
Washington, DC, March 8, 2017 — The Directors of Scena Theatre are thrilled to announce 1984, directed by Robert McNamara, to close out its 31st Season. This production of George Orwell's classic, written by playwrights Rob Icke & Duncan Macmillan, opens on Monday, April 30 at 8pm. Members of the Washington Press: please RSVP to ScenaMedia@gmail.com to reserve your seat for Opening Night or another performance.
1984 is the acclaimed stage version of George Orwell's dystopian vision of the future. This chilling drama shows us a world where individualism is crushed, and challenging authority leads to torture, prison and death. Based on the iconic novel by George Orwell, 1984 tells the story of Winston, a small cog in the giant machine state of Oceania who dares to fight a totalitarian regime by use of the written word. Winston is forced to confess his dangerous thought crimes before an unseen inquisitor and jury, which condemn him to unspeakable punishment. Watch what you think. Be careful of what you say. Big brother is watching. This play is most timely given the recent scandals surrounding the government spying on citizens as well as prevalent data monitoring by social media firms.
Artistic Director Robert McNamara is excited to bring 1984 to the stage. He believes that Orwell's timeless novel reads like it is torn from today's headlines. ''1984 was a place, a point of terrifying time before the actual date. Far from feeling defanged, it has renewed interest and power to both haunt and to inform. It's a novel that portrays the future—which is now. Scena's production—employing an international cast—will stage Orwell's vision of the future today. What better time to mount a version of what is happening today than in Washington, DC, the capital of the free world?"
Press Night / Opening — Monday, April 30, 2018 (8:00 pm). Please RSVP to ScenaMedia@gmail.com
Official Run: April 30 – May 27, 2018 (Thur. – Sat. 8:00 pm; Sun. 3:00 pm)
Previews: $15 Fri. & Sat., April 27 & 28 (8:00 pm) and Sun. April 29 (3:00 pm)
Industry: Monday, May 21, 2018 (8:00 pm): $15 for theatre / entertainment industry pros with ID / credentials
Venue: ATLAS Performing Arts Center
1333 H Street NE, Washington, DC 20002
Press Info: Email: scenamedia@gmail.com
Phone: 571-216-5136
Press Photos: Click on Press link (at left)
Ticket Cost: $15 - $35 at AtlasArts.org or 202.339.7993
Adults: $35 (Thurs & Sun); and $45 (Fri & Sat)
Under 30 / Seniors w/ ID: $25 (Thurs & Sun); and $35 on Fri & Sat
Box Office: Click here for Tickets: atlasarts.org
(OR)
Call 202.399.7993 x2.
Featuring: Oscar CeVille, Ron Litman (AEA), Karoline Troger, Gary DeBreuil, Buck O'Leary, Kim Curtis, Colin Davies, Sissel Bakken, Jesse Marciniak, Danielle Scott & Karin Rosnizeck
Designers: Robert McNamara (Director), , Natalia Gleason (Asst. Director), Hannah Fogler (Stage Manager), April Joy Vester (Set), Joanna Parra (Costumes), Denise Rose (Sound), Johnathan Alexander (Lighting), Jonathan Dahm Robertson (Video / Projection Designer) & Paul Gallagher (Fight Choreographer).
George Orwell (1903–1950) was a novelist, essayist and critic who challenged imperialism, fascism and communism. Animal Farm was an anti-Soviet satire in a pasture featuring the protagonists as two pigs (Joseph Stalin and Leon Trotsky). The novel brought Orwell great acclaim. Nineteen Eighty-Four (1949) was Orwell’s masterpiece, published in the late stages of his battle with T.B. Orwell gave readers a glimpse into the dire consequences if the government controlled every detail of our lives—including our private thoughts. This dark vision of a world divided into three oppressive states was quite controversial.
SCENA Theatre brings the best international theatre to Washington, DC and stimulates cultural exchange between theatre artists, locally and worldwide. Founded in 1987 under the leadership of Artistic Director Robert McNamara and Managing Director Amy Schmidt, SCENA produces an annual season of plays, seasonally staged readings, as well as a Workshop Series aimed at developing new works from around the globe. To learn more about our mission or past stage productions, please click on About in the left menu.
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