Big Brother Is Watching... UMSL Theatre to Stage 1984

UMSL Theatre presents 1984, running December 2-11 at Kranzberg Arts Center, directed by Matthew Kerns, USML adjunct professor and Executive Director of the St. Louis Fringe Festival.

Based on the iconic novel by George Orwell, 1984 brings us the story of Winston Smith, a cog in the giant machine state of Oceania.

Physically and mentally under the omnipresent eye of Big Brother, Winston has been caught struggling for scraps of love and freedom in a world awash with distrust and violence.

With the brutal "help" of four Party Members, Winston is forced to confess his Thoughtcrimes before an unseen inquisitor, and the audience -- which acts as a silent witness to his torture.

A ferocious and provocative adaptation of one of the most prescient works of literature of the last century.

1984 by George Orwell (Copyright, 1949) by permission of Bill Hamilton as the Literary Executor of the Estate of the Late Sonia Brownell Orwell, adapted by Michael Gene Sullivan.

Performances: December 2, 3, 9, 10 at 7:30pm; December 4 and 11 at 2:00pm. $10 for students with ID; $20 for general admission. Visit kranzbergartscenter.org/calendar/current-events/item/umsl-theatre-1984.