Big Brother is back to the future

By Ricardo Baca
The Metropolitan

If Big Brother is watching Brian Freeland, heâs probably smiling.

Freeland, artistic director at the LIDA Project Experimental Theatre, has adapted George Orwellâs novel, 1984, as his own three-act, mixed-media driven play, Eighty-Four.

The portrayal of a negative Utopia is perfect for Denverâs only experimental troupe. It was only a matter of time before they tackled the intense subject matter.

Written in 1948, Orwell was predicting a dismal future for the world ÷ and rightfully so. The state of the government was rapidly changing. What else was he to expect?

ăA picture of the future,ä one character pondered, ăis a boot stepping on a human face.ä

Orwell dreamed up a world where all thoughts were controlled by the government, more specifically Big Brother and the thought police. All actions were recorded on telescreens, and if people were breaking the law, they were severely punished.

Big Brotherâs watchful eye caught all, but there were rebels, of course.

In Eighty-Four, Winston (Guy Williams), who half-heartedly went along with the government, spent his free time writing his anti-conformist beliefs in a journal. He thought himself to be one of the few people who wasnât totally indoctrinated.

He later found out he was not alone. Julia (Catherine E. Worster) felt the same as he did, although he did not see it directly.

But it wasnât long before he deeply loved her. The two continued dodging the omnipresent eyes ÷ after all, they were having sex, and that was not allowed ÷ until the fated day when they were caught.

With government brainwashing similar to modern-day religion, contradictory phrases were commonly known and mentioned throughout the play. ăWar is Peace. Ignorance is Strength. Freedom is Slavery.ä The characters often ramble them off as if they were everyday speech.

The performances were strong across the table ÷ with much thanks to Freelandâs free flowing script. Worsterâs enigmatic eyes only added to her latently methodical line delivery. The passionate tension between the two couldnât have been cut with the sharpest of infomercial-acquired knives, and their explosive chemistry was wonderful to watch.

Abusing many creative lighting techniques, Freeland made the most out of his space: an old garage with blackened windows. Bright offstage lighting lit up characters and created a whole new realm of performance area. Also, forestage lighting under the seats of the first row gave a luminous, Orson Wells-like spin on the show. To mixed response, rear lighting shadowed actorsâ faces completely at times, but it worked because many of the characters in this story are faceless.

The complex use of mixed-media was right on as it didnât take away from the performance but added to it in a big way. A giant screen acted as a motion-filled backdrop as Winston rode the bus or sat in his room and looked out the window.

To add to the experience, LIDA painters wrote, ăBig Brother is watching you!ä on the bathroom stall wall. After that, it was hard not to look around for a camera hidden in their already spooky bathroom.

The LIDA Project has extended Eighty-Four through Dec. 14 at the LIDA Project Experimental Theatre, 80 S. Cherokee. The play will reopen Jan. 3 at Studio 44, 2865 W. 44th Ave. For tickets and information, call 293-9193.