Fahrenheit 451
at Woodbridge Senior High School

Reviewed on February 6, 2015

Marielle Burt
McLean High School
Submitted for publication to Washington Post - Prince William

Fahrenheit 451: the temperature that paper burns and rebellion ignites. In Ray Bradbury's dystopian classic, Guy Montag struggles against a warped society where firemen burn books, television eclipses free thought, and knowledge is on the verge of extinction. Woodbridge Senior High School does justice to Bradbury's masterpiece, giving voice to his visceral and haunting story.

Originally written in 1953, Fahrenheit 451 was a retort to the threat of book burnings during the McCarthy era and the growing influence of technology. But its themes transcended its original connotation- in a world where we spend hours every day cemented to a screen, the government wire-taps our phones, and tabloids and reality TV drive our culture, Bradbury's novel is jarringly prescient. The 1979 stage adaption (also written by Bradbury) is equally potent, keeping the original storyline intact.

Woodbridge's cast set a tone of urgency and intensity, gripping the audience from the first scene. Though some actors could have established more genuine connections, individual performers made clear acting choices, bringing their nuanced characters to life. As a lone rebel amidst a brainwashed society, Usman Ishaq was a poignant and sympathetic Montag. We cheer for his acts of rebellion and fear for him when he is hunted by a cruel regime. Danny Waldman, as Beatty, Montag's sinister and deranged boss, dominated the stage with forceful gestures and surprising shifts in inflection- his simmering anger was just as powerful as his manic shouts.

The supporting cast was marked by several standout performances. Amber Armstrong's vulnerability was heartbreaking as Mrs. Hudson, an old woman who values literature more than her life. She exposed her desperation as she clutched one of her books to her chest and begged the firemen to spare her most valued possessions. Fatima Dyfan embraced the eccentricity of Mildred, Montag's pill-popping, soap-opera-obsessed wife. She skillfully balanced the shallow materialism and deep loneliness of her character. As the enigma flower child Clarisse, Emily Smith had a soft femininity that contrasted with the regimented intensity of the rest of the cast and appropriately set her apart from other characters.

The technical elements helped translate a dystopian world of Fahrenheit 451 to the stage. Sound effects contributed to the intensity of key moments, from the robotic, emotionless voice announcing the time at various intervals to the growl of "the hound" (a government machine programmed to kill dissenters) that made the hairs on your arms stand on end. The costumes subtly accented changes in the characters over the course of the show: actors wore brighter colors as they became more independent from the strangling constraints of society. Additionally, impressive age makeup transformed high school students into middle-aged and elderly characters on stage.

With disturbing flickers of modern culture throughout, Woodbridge Senior High School's Fahrenheit 451 was unnervingly powerful. Once a dystopian nightmare, the story now borders on documentary.

Gillian Wright
McLean High School
Submitted for publication to Washington Post - Prince William

Snap. Snap. Snap crackle. Snap crackle crackle snap. The sounds of a small fire start softly then rise to a crescendo reminiscent of a furnace before being suddenly silenced. Woodbridge Senior High School's original exposition to "Fahrenheit 451" set the mood perfectly for a climactic show overrun with an inferno theme.

Based on Ray Bradbury's 1953 dystopian novel of the same name, the play "Fahrenheit 451" tells the story of Guy Montag, a firefighter in a futuristic world where firemen light fires to burn books, which are illegal to own or read. After a chance conversation one night with Clarise, a non-conforming teen, Montag starts to question his cause. As Montag struggles with his own identity, he learns more about the people in his community and realizes that everything is not as it seems.

Starring as Montag, Usman Ishaq exposes the emotional journey through which his character goes with his artful facial expressions and passionate diction. Opposite Ishaq, Danny Waldman executes Fire Chief Beatty impeccably. His commanding physicality defines him as a commanding authority figure before a word is said. Most impressive is Waldman's delivery of Beatty's main monologue which occurs in the second act. Waldman speaks for nearly ten minutes without ever bordering on boring due to his grippingly emotional presentation. Mildred (Fatima Dyfan) provides insightful juxtaposition to Montag as his shallow wife, in love with the mainstream and in no need of the books that so fascinate Montag.

Perhaps the most captivating scene of the night is the fire crew's encounter with Mrs. Hudson (Amber Armstrong), an elderly woman who collects books like cats and loves them just as much. The woman's adamant defense of literature, even at the greatest cost to her, is thoroughly wrenching. Emily Smith's graceful physicality and ethereal nature as Clarise makes the character mysterious yet charming. As Clarise's grandfather and Montag's guide, Faber (Travis Carr) displays authentic elderly physicality and a strong spirit beneath his tired demeanor.

A minimalist set allows attention to be focused on the actors, while detailed props bring the show to life. Aged copies of classic books stacked on the stage and filling book cases are an admirable touch, illuminating the true meaning of the story. Microphone use is flawless, and a plethora of expertly chosen sound effects are featured. Distinguishing Woodbridge's production from other renditions of "Fahrenheit 451" is a student-built, remote-controlled robotic hound that makes several appearances, accompanied by a menacing audio roar. Insightful lighting cues are employed to reflect the heavy use of digital technology in the futuristic setting.

Though the story tells of a frightening future, it ends on a hopeful note. Of the abundance of morals that Bradbury wove into "Fahrenheit 451," the idea most stressed by Woodbridge Senior High School's thought-provoking production is simple: quiet courage will always overcome the boldest cowardice.

Emma Paquette
McLean High School
Submitted for publication to Lorton Valley Star

Guy Montag loves fire. He loves the smell of kerosene, the twisting tendrils of smoke, the flames that consume everything they touch. So why, after so many years faithfully and happily executing his responsibilities, has he begun to crave knowing what lies in those book pages that he's supposed to turn to ash? Emotion and suspense ran high in Woodbridge Senior High School's passionate production of Fahrenheit 451.

Fahrenheit 451 was adapted into a play by Ray Bradbury in 1979, based off his 1953 book of the same name. Guy Montag is a fireman in a dystopian society where his job is to start fires rather than stop them, tasked with burning books deemed as controversial. However, after meeting a strange girl standing in the rain while walking home from work one day, he begins to doubt the validity of his profession. But his uncertainty brings danger, his growing knowledge brings growing confusion, and the Hound lurks just outside the door, waiting for his resolve to slip.

Leading the show with a capable hand was Usman Ishaq as the conflicted and tormented Guy Montag. In contrast to some of his fellow cast members, Ishaq committed himself to his lines, following through with expert projection and enunciation. Chief Beatty, Montag's strange adversary, was embodied with power and charisma by the confident Danny Waldman. The heated fervor brought by Waldman to his endless rants captured the attention and held on to it until he was done. Ishaq and Waldman brought taut rage and tension to their scenes together, particularly in their high stakes final confrontation.

The supporting cast contributing to the main conflict were just as devoted as the main two men, throwing themselves fully into their roles. Montag's wife Mildred's fragile and pathetic personality was captured brilliantly by Fatima Dyfan. Dyfan showcased the character's sudden mood shifts and antagonistic relationship with her incomprehensible husband with understanding and finesse. On the other side was Professor Faber (Travis Carr), seeming every inch the scared old man. Carr's shaking hands and tremulous voice also possessed a hidden strength that further contributed to the power of the climax of the play. In the scene that initiates Montag's first doubts about his job, Amber Armstrong masterfully crafted her Mrs. Hudson with equal parts desperation and determination.

The technical elements were admirable and clearly implemented with care. The sound of the Hound was bone-chilling, a high-pitched mechanical yap that inspired terrible fear. The special effects team should also be commended for their construction of a real mechanical Hound with eerie glowing green eyes that shone through the dark. Costumes and make-up also effectively served their purpose, bringing the characters to life.

Art and literature is essential to human society. Mankind will always strive to understand the mysteries of the world around him, truths and feelings unexplainable by science or rationalization. As in Fahrenheit 451, no matter how much society slips towards speed and convenience, there will always be people with the patience and determination to hold on to their classics. Woodbridge Senior High School understood this message and used it in crafting their enjoyable and thought-provoking production of Fahrenheit 451.

Katie Wattendorf
Hayfield Secondary School
Submitted for publication to Prince William Times

"You don't have to burn books to destroy a culture. Just get people to stop reading them." The harrowing words of Ray Bradbury's infamously chilling novel "Farenheit 451" echoed throughout Woodbridge Senior High School's theater on Friday night, capturing the audience and carrying them through the dystopian future of Bradbury's imagination. In a dark world, where "it's a pleasure to burn", for the audience, it was a pleasure to watch.

Written by Ray Bradbury in 1953, the novel "Farenheit 451" enthralled readers with its gripping tale of a society in shambles: a place where books are burned, and the firemen don't stop fires, but start them. In 1979, Bradbury adapted his tale for the stage, in a play version that won a Drama Desk award for its New York premiere.

Set in the future, in a corpse of a city, "Farenheit 451" is led by Guy Montag, a fireman who harbors a secret: thought. In a world where thought is frowned upon, where reading is prohibited and citizens spend their days placated by pills and plastered to "TV walls", Montag is starting to see beyond the brainwash. With a brain ignited by free-thinker Clarisse but burdened by chief fireman Beatty, Montag dangles in limbo between thinking and accepting. It is only once he opens one of the banned books that he begins to understand the tragic way in which his world has fallen apart.

Woodbridge Senior High School's production was alight with talented leads. Usman Ishaq as Guy Montag firmly grasped the perilously challenging role of a man stuck between what he thinks and what he sees, giving a performance full of strong vocals and intimate relationships. The powerhouse of the production, Danny Waldman as Beatty, gave an intricate and enthralling performance, relaying to the audience a person both vulnerable and terrifying, corrupted by both power and oppression. Despite being a teenager, Waldman's performance was complete with aged physicality and inflections. From the minutiae of his subtle eye glances to his roaring monologues, Waldman truly captivated the audience with his phenomenal performance.

Augmenting these performances were several dedicated supporting actors, such as Fatima Dyfan as Montag's troubled wife, Mildred, and Emily Smith as the thoughtful Clarisse. The highlight of the supporting roles was Amber Armstrong as Mrs. Hudson. Despite her short stage time, her scene was one of the most emotional in the play, due to her palpable emotion and demanding stage presence.

Special effects were crucial to this production based on the power of technology and the effects of fire, and Woodbridge delivered. Technician Ben Russell successfully built a robotic "Hound" based on the dog/machine/killer depicted in the play. The "Hound" rolled on and off the stage on its own due to remote control capabilities, adding to the realism of the production.

From time to time, books and plays come along that make one think. Plays set in dystopian futures that look frighteningly like the present, brimming with corruptive technology and oppressive government. In a gripping performance that left the audience thinking about their freedom of thought, Woodbridge Senior High School successfully delivered both message and entertainment in their honorable production of "Farenheit 451".

Zoe Le Menestrel
McLean High School
Submitted for publication to Patch.com - PWC/FQ

In Guy Montag's world, kerosene is sweeter than perfume, a book is more dangerous than a loaded gun, and fire is more omnipotent than any higher power could ever be. There is something deeply and irrevocably wrong with the society he inhabits, but Montag is oblivious to the civil liberties infringements which surround him. Until one day, he meets philosophical, free spirit Clarisse who opens his eyes to the lies, and his life is forever changed. This gripping tale was brought to the stage with blazing passion in Woodbridge Senior High School's production of Fahrenheit 451.

Science fiction genius Ray Bradbury composed this masterful work in the midst of the Cold War to share some of his McCarthyism-related worries, such as censorship, conformity, and political misbehavior. Bradbury decided to publish a stage version of his classic in 1979, which still centers on Montag, but which gives a much larger role to Montag's nemesis, Captain Beatty. Both are firemen who, in their dystopian society, start fires rather than end them, but while Montag comes to despise his profession, Beatty relishes the burnings. Their animosities, and the enigmatic twists in the overall plot, were expertly handled by Woodbridge's talented cast.

The role of protagonist Montag was competently filled by actor Usman Ishaq. Through his expressive body language, open sincerity, and unbridled intensity in moments of anger, he aptly conveyed the inner struggles and traumatic experiences of his character. Meanwhile, Danny Waldman's performance as Fire Chief Beatty was nothing short of a tour de force. It's not easy to maintain audience interest during a four page monologue, but Waldman's magnetic presence and sophisticated grasp of nuance made for a breath-taking, enthralling first act. With his deep voice and his superb grasp of the complexities of Bradbury's words, he was the highlight of the night.

While members of the cast did at times have trouble connecting with their fellow actors, a number of individual performances were so strong, they overcame this issue. One such actress was Amber Armstrong, whose depiction of the elderly, bibliophile Mrs. Hudson was remarkable. Her fierce insistence that she be burned alive along with her books made for one of the most powerful points of the play. Another accomplished performer was Fatima Dyfan who played Montag's drug-addled, T.V. obsessed wife, Mildred. Whether the focus of a scene or a silent observer, she consistently had fitting motivations and appropriate reactions. And finally, Travis Carr, as Montag's mentor, Faber, also deserves to be mentioned for his acute study of an aged man's physicality and vocal quality.

Woodbridge's technical crew made a couple of ingenious decisions which added to the intrigue of the overall presentation. Among these, a student-built robotic hound was a high point. It had not only the iconic green laser eyes known well to fans of the original novel, but also the ability to be controlled by a remote. In addition, sound operated smoothly on two fronts: all actors were consistently heard and were never overpowering, and sound effects were appropriately timed and well-chosen for each situation.

Although the overall pacing of the show was a bit slow, Woodbridge's cast and crew nevertheless succeeded in putting on a play worthy of acclaim. With a few truly outstanding actors, and an overall gifted ensemble, they imprinted upon the audience Bradbury's most important message, that "there are worse crimes than burning books; one is not reading them".