“‘There must be something in books, things we can’t imagine, to make a woman stay in a burning house; there must be something there. You don’t stay for nothing.'”
- Guy Montag
By Ray Bradbury
Adaptation and Direction: Wynn Handman
Performed by Rich Orlow
Appropriate for: elementary / middle / high school, and college audiences
Available for: live performances
This classic American dystopian novel presents a frightening vision of the future: where firemen don't extinguish fires, they start them in order to burn books.
The Story
One night while returning from work, fireman Guy Montag meets his new neighbor: a teenage girl whose curiosity and free-thinking spirit spark doubts about his own perceived happiness. As he grows disillusioned with his role destroying books, Montag escapes his oppressive world and joins a band of vagabonds who memorize literature to preserve it.
In Performance
Actor Rich Orlow tells the story through Montag’s eyes, seamlessly transforming into five other key characters. Bradbury’s vision of a society awash in information yet devoid of critical thought offers audiences a sobering reflection of our own world, and a glimmer of hope for its future. This adaptation explores themes of censorship, knowledge, and conformity.