“Animal Farm” is not a play for the faint hearted, after all it is about a revolution. As Spring Street International School’s theater teacher and director Krista Strutz describes it, the story is intense, powerful, and challenging.

“I wanted to give the kids good material, something they could care about and own. They have really taken it on,” Strutz said.

The Spring Street School troupe will be preforming April 15 and 16 at 7:30 p.m. and at 2 p.m. on April 17 at the San Juan CommunityTheatre. You can buy tickets on line or at the Theatre’s box office, $10 for adults, $5 student reserved.

For those who have not seen or read George Orwells “Animal Farm”, put simply, it is the story of the Russian revolution told using barnyardanimals who take over a farm.

“With the chaos happening politically right now in it seemed very timely, and an interesting question to ask; have we grown? Are we anybetter?” Strutz said. As an audience goer, actress and director Strutz went on to explain, it was important for her do something that hasmeaning, that took a look at the human condition. Strutz read the book for the first time when she was a freshman in high school andremembers the emotional impact it had on her, “People associate animals with being dirty. This play emphasizes how dirty people can betoo.”

The adaptation Strutz is using comes from Shake and Stir Theatre Co., and is fairly true to Orwell’s book, according to Strutz, “And we aregoing to get dirty,” she says, quite literally, since there will be a dirt floor, and the actors will be playing the animal characters, not withmasks and make up, but strictly using their bodies. Adding to the formidable task, each actor has a narrating role as well as the role of ananimal, and those animals often morph into other animals. In other words, it is a real performance art piece.

The troupe ranges in age from 9 to 17, and they have been excited about the challenge.

“Ihavetriedtogetthemawayfromtheideathattheaterisallaboutglitzandglamorouscostumes,it’salotofwork.Thesestudentshavereallybeenworkinghard,andIthinktheyareproudofthat.”Strutzsaid.

“Animal Farm” is not a play for the faint hearted, after all it is about a revolution. As Spring Street International School’s theater teacher anddirector Krista Strutz describes it, the story is intense, powerful, and challenging.

“I wanted to give the kids good material, something they could care about and own. They have really taken it on,” Strutz said.

The Spring Street School troupe will be preforming April 15 and 16 at 7:30 p.m. and at 2 p.m. on April 17 at the San Juan CommunityTheatre. You can buy tickets on line or at the Theatre’s box office, $10 for adults, $5 student reserved.

For those who have not seen or read George Orwells “Animal Farm”, put simply, it is the story of the Russian revolution told using barnyardanimals who take over a farm.

“With the chaos happening politically right now in it seemed very timely, and an interesting question to ask; have we grown? Are we anybetter?” Strutz said. As an audience goer, actress and director Strutz went on to explain, it was important for her do something that hasmeaning, that took a look at the human condition. Strutz read the book for the first time when she was a freshman in high school andremembers the emotional impact it had on her, “People associate animals with being dirty. This play emphasizes how dirty people can betoo.”

The adaptation Strutz is using comes from Shake and Stir Theatre Co., and is fairly true to Orwell’s book, according to Strutz, “And we aregoing to get dirty,” she says, quite literally, since there will be a dirt floor, and the actors will be playing the animal characters, not withmasks and make up, but strictly using their bodies. Adding to the formidable task, each actor has a narrating role as well as the role of ananimal, and those animals often morph into other animals. In other words, it is a real performance art piece.

The troupe ranges in age from 9 to 17, and they have been excited about the challenge.

“I have tried to get them away from the idea that theater is all about glitz and glamorous costumes, it’s a lot of work. These students havereally been working hard, and I think they are proud of that.” Strutz said.