Ohio Wesleyan to Perform ‘Fahrenheit 451’
Dystopian Play Adapted from Ray Bradbury’s Award-Winning Novel
DELAWARE, Ohio – In fireman Guy Montag’s world, books – and the ideas they contain – are banned. Montag’s job is not to save the provocative print materials but to burn them. And he is happy to do so, until new ways of thinking spark his imagination and fuel an intellectual fire that threatens to consume him.
Ohio Wesleyan University’s Department of Theatre & Dance will present four performances of Ray Bradbury’s classic “Fahrenheit 451” in October. Performances will be held at 8 p.m. Oct. 5 through Oct. 7, with a Sunday matinee at 2 p.m. Oct. 8.
“The title refers to the burning temperature of paper,” said theatre professor D. Glen Vanderbilt Jr., who is directing and designing the upcoming production. “After spending 10 years burning books, Montag begins to question his actions and his life. Will he risk everything for the right to think and communicate ideas?
“It is a thought-provoking and timely play,” said Vanderbilt, a member of OWU’s theatre faculty since 1983. “The play is suitable for middle school students and up.”
The cast of “Fahrenheit 451” is comprised of 14 Ohio Wesleyan students and features Joshua Martin as Montag; Kacie Iuvara as Mildred, his wife; Ares Harper as Captain Beatty, his chief; and Ruby Scheckelhoff as Clarisse, a young neighbor whose observations challenge Montag’s conformist thinking.
Other on-stage roles are performed by OWU students Rose Jonesco, Doris Ottman, Nash Bonnema, Beverly King, Miko Harper, Michael Sutton, Logan Kovach, Catherine Giacalone, Jack Riter, and Margaret Welsh. And voice actors Daniel Haygood, Somerset Simpson, Jeff Horst, Makaila Weir, and TaTyana Payne also contribute to the production.
The play features costume designs by Jacqueline Shelley and lighting design by senior Alanna Easley, and it makes extensive use of the projection, lighting, and sound capabilities of Ohio Wesleyan’s Chappelear Drama Center.
“Fahrenheit 451” will be performed on the Main Stage inside the drama center, 45 Rowland Ave., Delaware. Tickets are $10 for general admission; $5 for senior citizens, Ohio Wesleyan employees, and non-Ohio Wesleyan students; and free for Ohio Wesleyan students with a valid OWU ID. Group discounts are available. To reserve tickets for the general-seating event, call the box office at (740) 368-3855. For more information, visit www.owu.edu/TheatreAndDance.
Founded in 1842, Ohio Wesleyan University is one of the nation’s premier liberal arts universities. Located in Delaware, Ohio, the private university offers nearly 90 undergraduate majors and competes in 23 NCAA Division III varsity sports. Through Ohio Wesleyan’s signature OWU Connection program, students integrate knowledge across disciplines, build a diverse and global perspective, and apply their knowledge in real-world settings. Ohio Wesleyan is featured in the book “Colleges That Change Lives,” listed on the latest President’s Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll with Distinction, and included in the U.S. News & World Report and Princeton Review “best colleges” lists. Learn more at www.owu.edu.