Published in 1953 at the height of McCarthyism, Ray Bradbury’s dystopian vision of government-sanctioned book burning reflects the author’s fear of a future where authorities think literature (and thought) are dangerous to social and political order. The firemen in Fahrenheit 451 don’t put out fires, but start them, burning books and houses. Some people caught with books choose to die in the flames rather to live in a world without literature.
Adapted for the stage by Bradbury’s friend Tobias Andersen, Fahrenheit 451 tells the story of Montag (Amir Abdullah), a fireman who sees a woman die in the flames of her home. He steals a book from the flames and hides it, wondering at the power books have over some. Shaken, he meets Clarisse, girl who doesn’t conform to the social strictures, who suggests that her grandfather (Henry Woronicz) has taught her to think and dream through literature. Montag’s wife Mildred (Jennifer Johansen) lives in deep despair, and attempts suicide. Montag’s boss Beatty (Tim Decker) explains the history of firemen; how they went from heroically putting out fires to starting them. We find out that Beatty has secretly built a library in his home, and Montag seeks out the missing Clarisse and her grandfather. Mildred turns Montag in, and their house is scheduled to be burned because of the one book he has hidden, and Montag flees into the forest on the grandfather’s urging. There, he finds Clarisse and many others huddled around a campfire, reading and memorizing books. The story ends on a hopeful note that the beauty of literature will not completely die.
The IRT’s production of Fahrenheit 451 is a thoughtful reminder of the power of the written word, with the current surge in banning books from schools and “cancelling” ideas that some find uncomfortable or challenging. A spartan tech-heavy set designed by William Boles serves as a changeable background to the action, and the script does an admirable job of keeping the poetry of Bradbury’s original text flowing. Abdullah is perfectly cast as fireman Montag, full of doubts and questions that melt into steely resolve, and Decker as Beatty absolutely sets the stage ablaze with his monologue about the “dangers” of great literature.
Fahrenheit 451 will be on the IRT Mainstage through Feb. 20, and is a must-see production (in person or via video on select dates. Visit irtlive.com to get tickets.
After you see it, you might want to dig out your copy of the original book and give it a read.
