A field trip to the Patchogue Theatre for the Performing Arts brought George Orwell’s nightmarish novel “1984” to life for Huntington High School students taking the Advanced Placement Seminar course.
Huntington English teachers Dianna Cazzalino, and Ali Capewell brought the students to see the play, “1984.” The actors gave the book and its themes new meaning for the teenagers who watched in fascination as the story unfolded on the theatre’s stage.
“Students were assigned ‘1984’ as their summer reading,” Mrs. Cazzalino said. “AP Seminar is an exciting course that offers students unique opportunities to explore real word issues from literature to today’s politics. We used ‘1984’s’ themes to discuss whether or not Orwell predicted the future, if average people can successfully resist totalitarian regime, and dystopian universes like in ‘The Handmaid’s Tale,’ which rose to popularity on Hulu.”
The book “1984” was published in 1949, but many believe it is even more relevant today. It features political satirist George Orwell’s “nightmarish vision of an authoritarian, bureaucratic world and one man’s attempt to find individuality,” according to an overview of the volume. “The brilliance of the novel is Orwell’s prescience of modern life; the ubiquity of television, the distortion of the language and his ability to construct such a thorough version of hell. It ranks among the most terrifying novels ever written.”
The Huntington students came to the theatre with a familiarity of “1984’s” themes such as the dangers of totalitarianism, psychological manipulation and control of information, subversion of love and feelings and abuse of technology.
The 15 students participating in the field trip included Robert Harrington, Aidan Heller, Brianna Isaza, Isaiah James, John Krisch, Carolina Moreira-Ibarra, Steven Queen, Daniela Ramos Campos, Matt Colavecchio, Emma Guba, Kemberlin Hernandez-Veliz, Aiden Lefebvre,
Harrison McKenna, Tess Stanley and Miles Tierney.
“I thought it was pretty interesting interpretation of the book in how he watches his own life acted out in front of him while being tortured,” Mr. Heller said.
The novel was brought to the stage in Patchogue by Aquila Theatre. The Huntington AP Seminar students appeared to really appreciate the production, which provoked many discussions.
“The play was great,” Mr. James said. “It took an interesting twist on the source material. I really enjoyed the way the actors portrayed the characters. It was a great time. I’m really enjoying AP Seminar.”
Huntington High School’s AP Seminar course has developed a loyal following. “AP Seminar is a foundational course that engages students in cross-curricular conversations, exploring the complexities of academic and real-world topics by analyzing divergent perspectives,” according to the course description. “Using an inquiry framework, students practice reading and analyzing articles, research studies, and foundational literary and philosophical texts. Students will also listen to and view speeches, broadcasts, and personal accounts, plus experience artistic works and performances.”
Class members “learn to synthesize information from multiple sources, develop their own perspectives in research-based written essays, and design and deliver oral and visual presentations, both individually and as part of a team,” according to the course description. “Ultimately, the course aims to equip students with the power to analyze and evaluate information with accuracy and precision in order to craft and communicate evidence-based arguments.”
