SPOTLIGHT: March 15th - April 13th, 2019 | Regional Premiere. Benchmark Theatre. 1984. Orwell. Play by Icke and MacMillan.
3.5 out of 4 stars from The Denver Post
"Buckley's visceral sense of hunger in Julia, when she makes eye contact with Winston, gets his attention… The animalistic undercurrent to Buckley's and Scrutchins' work magnetically conveys the intensity of long-repressed emotions that Julia and Winston eventually release..."
-Bob Bows, Colorado Drama (Read Full Review)
Theater is often at its best, its most challenging, when it stirs up the cluelessness or dishonesty in us. And so, a small theater company in Lakewood is punching above its weight class with winning, if bruising, results. Benchmark Theatre is giving George Orwell’s “1984” a visceral, often stunning, once-over.
-Lisa Kennedy, Special to The Denver Post (Read Full Review)
"Buckley does nice work splitting Julia’s membership in the fanatical “Junior Anti-Sex League” and a wannabe rebel who’s also fallen in love with Winston (and decides sex is OK). Their relationship, of course, provides key leverage for O’Brien who looks to exploit it to his advantage… Benchmark’s '1984' is a harrowing, exceptionally well-done piece of theater not for the faint of heart. See it to remind yourself what the extreme end of authoritarian overreach looks like, but also to take in one of the best productions at any theater in Colorado this season. It’s powerful stuff, presented with a realistic, austere aesthetic that perfectly matches the source material."
-Alex Miller, Onstage Colorado (Read Full Review)
"This is not an easy play to watch, but it is one that will stay with you for a long time as you mentally ponder the parallels in recent history and contemplate the possibilities for the future. It has been brought to life by an amazing cast of totally committed actors."
-Beki Pineda, GetBoulder.com
"Winston and Julia’s love for each other represents a joyous freedom. These characters are well drawn, and Orwell’s trenchant political insights are revealed through story and acted and spoken by vividly drawn human beings. We see Winston’s humanity, his bravery and his cowardice; we also empathize with his feelings for defiant, sexy Julia…The production jolts you out of your everyday reality and slams your brain against your skull."
-Juliet Wittman, Westword (Read Full Review)
"Benchmark Theatre’s powerhouse production of '1984' is a brutal, yet aesthetically astute wake-up call..."
-Patrick Dorn (Read Full Review)
1984
by George Orwell
A New Play by Robert Icke & Duncan Macmillan