'Fahrenheit 451,' Tepid on the Stage

Alex Bastani as Captain Beatty threatens an illegal book owner (Rhonda Carney) in Tapestry Theatre's production. (By Bob Morrison)

Ray Bradbury's "Fahrenheit 451," which forecast a future when a totalitarian government has banned books and citizens are lulled into passivity, was hot when it was published in 1953. Onstage in 2006, "Fahrenheit 451" is getting a lot of attention again.

Bradbury's tale, which he adapted for the stage in 1979 but which was not produced anywhere until recently, seems relevant to many concerned about current national events, but it may already be an anachronism. After all, it does not take into account the technology that allows the content of books to remain extant and viable even if books are physically no longer with us. But that allows the viewer to wonder if the value of the play now lies not in a condemnation of book burning and censorship, but in a condemnation of a population that fails to question authority even as more and more information is available to us.

Tapestry Theatre Company has taken on the considerable challenge of staging what is now called "Ray Bradbury's Fahrenheit 451." Bradbury insisted on the name change so that his work would not be confused with Michael Moore's incendiary political documentary "Fahrenheit 9/11." It's difficult to make this play dramatically successful, as Bradbury's dialogue, much of which was lifted straight from the novel, is dense and formal. What might seem eloquent on the printed page can seem stilted onstage.

The setting is supposed to be a technologically advanced time, but the people we meet don't have much to show for it, other than cellphone-like devices and big TVs. With no computers or personal digital devices, a sense of realism is severely compromised.

First-time director Mark Edwards has opted for a thoughtful, low-key approach that generally avoids the flashy pyrotechnics, billowing smoke and blaring sound that have been the hallmarks of this play elsewhere. He focuses on the words, perhaps hoping to involve the viewer in the message, rather than the medium. That's risky, and the results are mixed. There are moments when the actors delve into the thought behind the dialogue, but the energy level and pacing seem almost listless at other times. Interaction between live actors and videotaped scenes projected onto a large screen are handled adroitly, however, spotlighting how the government craftily uses television to pacify the citizenry.

Anthony Van Eyck is Montag, the fireman. In this world, firemen don't put out fires, they start them to burn books. Montag enjoys his work until Clarisse (Jennifer Calhoun), a young and uninhibited woman, makes him realize that people did not have to live in fear of the government when the printed word was still legal. After being shaken when a woman (Rhonda Carney) immolates herself along with her forbidden library rather than let the firemen destroy it, he peeks at a page and is soon hooked. That leads to his questioning all he has previously accepted about society, and he is soon stealing books rather than burning them. He grows frustrated with his witless, drugged-out wife, Mildred (Jacqueline Chase), while simultaneously trying to dampen the growing suspicions of his sinister supervisor, Captain Beatty (Alex Bastani). When Montag's book stealing is discovered, he flees.

Van Eyck's performance is subtle, almost inscrutable at times, in sharp contrast to the high-energy bombast of Bastani as his menacing boss. A little more vigor from Van Eyck and a little less from Bastani would work wonders. Calhoun is appropriately captivating as the idealistic but determined Clarisse, who guides Montag to his future. The final scene is moving, as a new life for books is revealed and it becomes clear that it is not a book itself that is important, but our desire to use the thoughts it contains.

"Fahrenheit 451," performed by Tapestry Theatre Company, continues through May 28, at the Lee Center's Kauffman Auditorium, 1108 Jefferson St., Alexandria. Showtime is 8 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays and 3 p.m. Sundays. For tickets or information, call 703- 960-3398 or visithttp://www.TapestryTheatre.com.