ShowBizRadio

Imagine a world where everyone looks and feels exactly the same. A world where everyone belongs to everyone else; and where no such thing as love, families, or even sadness exist. This is a Brave New World. Aldous Huxley’s famous novel, adapted into a play by David Rogers, is a very famous story of a futuristic society where everyone is brainwashed by soma, an addictive drug that causes all who take it to instantly find happiness. But what happens when they bring a “savage” into their new society–a “savage” who is much like us in the way he thinks and feels. Will things spiral out of control?

Stephanie Billard had a beautiful stage presence as she played the role of Lenina. All of her actions were very believable, and she maintained a high level of performance throughout the entire show. Brendan Rice, playing the role of John, seemed very comfortable on stage. There was a sense of honesty every time he spoke, and it was easy to forget he was just a high school actor. Though it can be hard to play emotional roles, Cassy Byrne did a fantastic job portraying the role of Linda. She played everything full out, and never backed down from a challenging scene. Her pain and tears felt so real to the audience that they all came to sympathize with her.

The tech crew faced quite a challenge with this futuristic play. They pulled it off well in a very unique way. The projector used was a very creative way to make moving backgrounds. Though this device was a little distracting in a scene depicting a card game, it usually added a nice touch to the scene. The costumes were simple, but uniform, which worked well for this particular story–more elaborate would have distracted.

This very unique play can be a challenge, especially for high school students. Congratulations to Woodson for pulling it off and creating a good show!

Brave New World will also be performed on May 8th, 9th, and 10th at 7:30PM. Don’t miss it.

by Jessica Musman of Hayfield