Literature Live! Ray Bradbury’s ‘Fahrenheit 451’ Opens At Bay Street Theater

Bay Street Theater’s current production of “Fahrenheit 451,” adapted from Ray Bradbury’s 1953 dystopian novel,​ is directed by one of the theater’s founding members, Stephen Hamilton, and is part of the theater’s Literature Live! Program, which brings classic novels to the stage for high school students. ​It runs through November 30 on the Long Wharf in Sag Harbor.

The premise of the play centers on the temperature at which paper burns — 451 degrees Fahrenheit and depicts a futuristic society where reading books is a criminal offense punishable by law. The government enforces this ban by systematically burning books in schools, libraries, and homes to censor communication and control the news media. As Bradbury brilliantly illustrates, this control serves to keep the masses ignorant while promoting the government’s agenda — effectively “a dumbing down of America.”

Bradbury wrote the Sci-Fi novel during the 1950s, a period defined by McCarthyism and “The Red Scare.” The government-created propaganda fostered an environment where fear led people to report friends and co-workers as suspected communists. Bradbury channeled this historical influence to emphasize the danger of revoking American citizens’ rights, arguing it could lead to severe unhappiness, potential rebellion, and even the creation of social​ or mechanical “monsters.” (Sound familiar?)

A key element of Bradbury’s genius is his imagination and prediction of future technology. This is evident in Hamilton’s creative vision, brought to life by set and projection designer Michael Billings, which cleverly features video screens controlled by voice commands — akin to today’s Alexa or Siri — surrounding the backdrop of a home. These projections seamlessly convert into a firehouse with monitors, as well as the frightening, shadowy image of the “diabolical Hound,” a robotic creature capable of injecting lethal drugs to terminate “undesirable” citizens.

“Fahrenheit 451” tells the story of fireman Guy Montag, played by John Kroft, whose job is, ironically, to ignite fires to destroy books instead of putting them out. Montag begins questioning his actions after a chance meeting with the free-spirited Clarisse, played delightfully by Anna Francesca Schiavoni. Clarisse and her grandfather, the knowledgeable Professor Faber (Mathew Conlon), recently moved next door to Montag and his wife, Mildred (Daniela Mastropietro), whom Montag discovers nearly overdosed on sleeping pills that same evening, attempting to numb the emptiness of her life spent absorbed in TV reality shows.

The play progresses as Montag’s supervisor, Beatty (J. Stephen Bradley), who recognizes his worker’s rebellious nature and sees similarities within himself, reveals his own hidden library. Unfortunately, Beatty feels defeated and chooses to extinguish his own hope, calling in the Hound (a frightening scene achieved through technical effects) to destroy himself and his past.

Yet, “Fahrenheit 451” is not all doom and gloom. This production successfully shows that there is hope, and although there are numerous parallels to our current political situation, we can choose knowledge and individualism over complacency and censorship. Other notable performances are by Nicole Marie Hunt and Dan Pavacic.

An opening night performance was held on Saturday, November 15. Get your tickets to see “Fahrenheit 451” at Bay Street Theater now through November 30th at the box office or baystreet.org.