News Article

The Gonzaga University theatre department will kick off its 2007-2008 season with a stage version of “Fahrenheit-451,” Ray Bradbury’s classic dystopian novel, directed by GU theatre Associate Professor Brian Russo. The show will open at 7:30 p.m., Friday through Saturday, Oct. 19-20, and Thursday through Saturday, Oct. 25-27, with 2 p.m. matinees Saturday, Oct. 20, and Sunday, Oct. 28. All performances will take place in the Russell Theatre, located in the GU Administration Building. All performances also are open to the public. Tickets are $6 each for students, $8 for Gonzaga employees, and $10 for the public.

In a society where reading is forbidden, firefighters burn books, and citizens are saturated with media and calming drugs, it is no surprise that critical thought is virtually nonexistent. When firefighter Guy Montag begins to question his world, he paves the way for stunning changes in himself and the people around him. This presentation is intended to assault the audience with a world we hope to avoid, but seem to be inevitably hurtling toward.

The play, whose title refers to the temperature at which books begin to burn, underscores the enormous influence of the media in contemporary society, and is a commentary on what happens when people lose their ability to contemplate anything beyond what is on TV each night.

For more information, contact Summer Berry at (509) 323-3606 or (509) 323-6552 or via e-mail. To purchase tickets, contact the Russell Theatre box office at (509) 323-6553.