Where There’s Smoke
GableStage Production of Fahrenheit 451 Shows That the Future Is Now

Citizens get their information from giant video walls in their homes; many routinely self-medicate.

A burning sensation? Bruce Linser as Montag and Kathryn Lee Johnston in Fahrenheit 451. Photo by George Schiavone

By Mary Damiano

The sight of books being burned, the edges of pages singed and then consumed by fire, is an emotionally potent image for anyone who loves books and the written word.

Those images, conveyed by a video projection system, are among the most powerful in Fahrenheit 451, now at the GableStage Theatre in Coral Gables through Nov. 19.

This stage adaptation of Fahrenheit 451 was written by Ray Bradbury and based on his classic novel. Bradbury changed some things for the transition from page to stage, but the story is essentially the same. Set in a futuristic society, books have been outlawed by a government determined to squelch a freethinking public. Firemen no longer put out fires, but start them by burning books. Fahrenheit 451 focuses on Montag (Bruce Linser), a fireman who becomes curious about the books he’s paid to burn.

One of the most interesting aspects of Fahrenheit 451 is that Bradbury’s vision of the future looks a whole lot like our present. Citizens get their information from giant video walls in their homes; many routinely self-medicate to keep any real feelings away; the government has trampled everyone’s civil rights and nobody seems to care.

The design elements of Fahrenheit 451 add to the mood of Bradbury’s ominous future. Eric Nelson’s lighting and Matt Corey’s sound are eerie and foreboding. Tim Connelly’s futuristic bi-level set is appropriately cold and sterile — the only real color or warmth comes when shelves filled with books are shown. Amanda Keator’s costumes are solemn and militaristic for the men, neutral and layered for the women, the outfits of characters who have no real personality to express.

As for the cast, Kevin Reilley’s characterization of Captain Beatty is especially effective. With his mustache, goatee and devilish glint, he’s positively Luciferian. Linser does a good job of portraying Montag’s literary awakening, morphing from a mildly confused drone to a man hungry for knowledge.

The biggest problem with Fahrenheit 451 is the lack of tension. Because the book was published in 1953 and the movie released in 1966, most adults know the story, and watching the play lacks the punch a production like this should have. However, for those who don’t know the story, and for the hundreds of Miami-Dade students who will see the production as part of GableStage’s educational outreach, Fahrenheit 451 is a tale that needs to be told.

Whether you know the story or not, Fahrenheit 451 packs an emotional wallop.

Fahrenheit 451 runs through Nov. 19 at the GableStage Theatre at the Biltmore Hotel, 1200 Anastasia Ave., Coral Gables. For more information call 305-446-1116 or visit www.gablestage.org.