Four Legs Good, Animal Farm Great

For two nights in early December, the Cortellucci Family Theatre was transformed into a barnyard full of politics, controversy and hay bales as the Middle School staged its production of George Orwell’s Animal Farm. Student actors brought their characters to life, delivering their lines with squeals, grunts and squawks through elaborate costumes. Pigs, dogs, geese, sheep, chickens and more occupied the stage in a rebellion against their human farmer, seeking a more just world. 

“This is not a cute animal show,” warned Middle School drama teacher Tim Evans in a message to the audience. “Our students, cast and crew have taken on a mammoth task with Animal Farm.” The story of corruption and the futility of idealism was chosen in part, he says, because it’s important that students recognize worrying patterns in history. Middle School students studied the book in English class, which deepened their understanding of the material; in fact, Evans considers the production a collaboration between the Drama and English departments.

While it was an exciting challenge to work with a classic piece of literature, Evans sees value in exploring a cautionary tale that may seem unpleasant or disquieting. “Art and literature are always poking at us, making us feel things. That is their power.”

Click here to view the Animal Farm photo gallery