Warren Arts selected “Lord of the Flies” as a theater production last fall.
Little did group members realize the main themes would blare so loudly in today’s chaotic climate of social unrest.
“There was already a lot of division in the country last fall, but the message is a lot more impactful now,” said Chad McGee, who co-directs the play with Tara Austin.
“Lord of the Flies” follows the story of the 1954 novel by William Golding where a plane crash strands a group of boys on a remote island in the Pacific Ocean. The boys are forced to find food and build shelter, but they are also tasked with the challenges of getting along as their own small society.
The happy castaways of “Gilligan’s Island” are nowhere to be found. Instead, tension thrives, schemes are hatched, and boys are divided among tribes as they struggle to survive and co-exist.
“It definitely fits into the situation we’re in nowadays,” said Kaden Hobbs, who plays one of the leading roles of Ralph, who tries to be the voice of reason.
“It’s the darkest performance we’ve had on this stage,” said Kaden, a rising sophomore at WCHS. “It’s almost like horror.”
Ralph is met by constant resistance from Roger, played by Tommy Carpenter, and Jack, played by Vincent Garrison. The two combine to lead an evil tribe that commits violent and savage acts.
“They are almost sociopathic,” said Carpenter. “They react in fear because they don’t have control over the situation.”
The play opened last weekend before closing this Sunday. Only about 40 tickets have been available for each show to ensure social distancing.
“I think we just got in under the wire with things starting to close back up,” said McGee. “We really emphasized social distancing and only sold about one-third of our possible tickets to keep people six feet apart. The state recommended half capacity, but with such a small facility we went with one-third.”
McGee said the play was selected not because of its social commentary but because of the large number of boys in the 12 to 18 age range that are talented actors.
The next production for Warren Arts will be the “Beverly Hillbillies.” McGee said it’s likely that could be an outdoor show in August or September, depending on what might happen with the Warren County A&L Fair.
