Animal Farm
Germinal Stage Denver: 8/22 - 9/14
“Animal
Farm,” George Orwell’s dark serious allegory based upon the author’s disgust at
Stalin’s betrayal of the Russian revolution, is now on view at Germinal Stage
Denver.
Nelson
Bond’s stage adaptation focuses on the incremental steps used by power-hungry
pigs as they enslave their comrades. Their Machiavellian strategy is illuminated
with lucid simplicity and one can’t help comparing them to some of the
contemporary swine featured on the evening news.
Since History seems to repeat itself maybe if we all
pay attention to the cautionary aspect of Orwell’s tale and heed its historical message it could mean
the difference between having to choose between an all expense paid one-way-trip to the abattoir
and wallowing around in a political pig sty while slopping the hogs.
The show is
evenly cast and minimally staged. Besides his insistence on a clear elocution
of the text director Baierlein has added the sometimes humorous and more often
unsettling use of a shrill “eeeee” whenever an actor encounters a hard “e” in
his character’s lines. In this way Squealer’s evil glee is accentuated and
Benjamin’s braying terror exponentialized.
This is the
second production of "Animal Farm" that this reviewer has had the honor to see at
Germinal Stage Denver. Whether you’re familiar with the professional quality of
GSD’s productions or not one must state unequivocally that Baierlein’s
productions of the classics are quite simply without equal in the region.
This time
Orwell’s barnyard menagerie includes such fine actors as: Suzanna Wellens,
Steven Kramer, Dane Torbenson, Lori Hansen and Randy Diamon.
Gallop,
canter or trot on over to get a ticket.
Friday, Saturday, Sunday,
7:00
Through September 14th
All tickets $20.00
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