Bozeman Magazine

Aquila Theatre reinterprets classical plays for contemporary audiences that free the spirit of the original work and recreate the excitement of the live performance, and has earned glowing review from The New York Times. Aquila Theatre brings George Orwell’s classic dystopian novel 1984 to WMPAC, and provides the kind of evocative and innovative storytelling that suits Aquila’s bold, ensemble driven, physical style. 

As our modern world grapples with the threats and benefits of technological integration, Aquila Theatre’s production of 1984 provides a space to appreciate the value of individual thought – an evocative and timely narrative of personal freedom against political repression. Today, Orwell’s prescient story resonates around the globe as individuals, systems, and governments clash.

Written in 1944 near the end of World War II, 1984 depicts a society controlled by a perfectly totalitarian government bent on repressing all subversive tendencies. “Big Brother” is always watching and technology is wielded as a weapon to inundate citizens with propaganda and to monitor thoughts and actions. Imagined before the existence of computers, this dystopian future explores the power of technology as a mental manipulator and source of curated information.

The resurgence of 1984 marks a widespread desire to understand the present moment by looking back… as a means to look forward. How far are we from realizing Orwell’s nightmare? Are we already there? Can there be more than one truth, more than one set of facts?