Animal Farm takes the stage 

Emilie Crowley reporter  

Pitt State Theatre drew back the curtain and showcased Animal Farm, the last show of the season. A show that navigates an animal revolution, the play is an onstage adaptation of George Orwell’s book Animal Farm. 

The director of the production, Linden Little, is also an Associate Instructional Professor in the Communications Department. Little acknowledges that Animal Farm is a political allegory, but he does not wish to impose his politics on the company or on the audience. 

Little describes the scenes as, “folk-punk aesthetic. A blending of hardcore DIY punk with country softness.” The stage was set with industrial scaffolding and a large old red barn structure. 

 “The fusion of the two values an idealistic rebellious spirit of change, and an understanding of the importance of tradition or ritual,” Little said.  

The production follows farm animals who rise and take over a farm, which closely follows the Russian Revolution. The allegory throughout the production is the transition of Russia from a monarchy to communism.  

There were very few ‘humans’ in the production, most of the characters were farm animals. Such as pigs (the leaders), horses, cows and others.  

Lisa Quinteros, Pitt State Costume Designer and Wardrobe Supervisor, describes the costuming as “Folkpunk.” 

 The costumes were built in a variety of ways; 3-D printing, latex, clay, sculpting, and more. Each character was distinguished by the hat they wore. Whether they wore a horse, pig, crow, or sheep there was a different hat. Each hat was displayed on stage throughout the show, on and off characters. The costumes expose the fear the animals have in the show of becoming human. In Animal Farm, the animals create commandments to make sure they do not become anything like man. Throughout the show, they slowly break the commandments and become more human like, which is shown intricately through costuming.