Animal Farm

Animal Farm, a new adaptation by Eva Kolomaznikova, situates Orwell’s fable in the setting of a agricultural high school somewhere in the British countryside and tells the story of revolutionary ideas gone wrong.

After local student Nathaniel Berskhire decides to rehearse George Orwell’s classic with his classmates, the functioning of his classroom and the entire school is turned upside down. The idea of a play about a group of intrepid animals banishing their tormentor, farmer Tom Jones, is a tempting means of improving one’s self-esteem and reminding us of the pitfalls of totalitarian regimes today. But what if it’s taken too literally? Where does the redeeming idea for improving class conditions end and the totalitarianism of the powerful begin? Is totalitarianism only a problem of the adult world and the state establishment, or can it begin in places that should be safe environments for all? Is everyone equal in the classroom? And are all animals equal, or are some more equal?

The production explores themes of bullying and psychological coercion of adolescents.