I never imagined in middle school that I'd get to see a fully realized stage production of "Anthem", a novel that blew my mind as an adolescent.  I therefore felt fortunate to see Austin Shakespeare's take on the novel, adapted by Jeff Britting from the book by Ayn Rand.  Director Ann Ciccolella does a tremendous job guiding this ship of creative geniuses that come together for this presentation.

"Anthem", a novel written by the late Rand in 1938, tells the story of a youth named Equality 7-2521, cursed with the assignment of a street sweeper, who finds a hidden tunnel where he hides and writes in solitude -- and successfully builds a lightbulb.  He soon meets a beautiful girl, whom he nicknames 'The Golden One' and immediately falls in love with.  Caught by the council after returning home late one evening, he breaks out of his prison to show the World Council his invention.  They reject his invention out of fear, and he must escape to the Uncharted Forest, followed by the Golden One, where he discovers the meaning of the word 'I'.

The ensemble cast of six actors brings Rand's world to life.  Matthew Lieff Christian plays the curious Equality 7-2521, mastering the language and understanding of a world where individuals refer to themselves as "we" when speaking in the first person.  The love that blossoms between Sofia Lauwers (Liberty 5-3000/The Golden One) and Christian is delightfully endearing.  The moment when he shares a sip of water from her hand has you rooting for their relationship and their survival in the Uncharted Forest.  Lelund Durond and Tina Johnson, too, are true professionals in the craft.  They respectively play International 4-8818 and Democracy 2-5799 with much depth, play, and dexterity.

Ciccolella's choice to entrust Jason H. Thompson with projections pays off: the visual moments he creates, such as when we can see what a fellow street sweeper draws in secret on a found object, are intrinsic to world of this piece; they allow for an insider's view, as though we are reading Rand's descriptive text.  Anthony Mattana creates a sound score that makes the actors' movements and transitions seem as though they float from one environment to the next.  The composition underlies scenes, adding to the stakes of this flawed world.  Theresa Squire dresses the actors in sanctioned robes, perfectly draped.  Kevin Judge's simplistic set design utilizes the space of the Jerome Robbins Theater in a way that allows this play to breathe.

I believe Rand would be truly proud of this production, for it stays true to the book.  Austin Shakespeare has created a magnificent piece of theater, tackling a great novel with reverence and maturity.

Performances of "Anthem" continue through December 1st.  Check out our full event listing here: https://stagebuddy.com/listingdetail.php?lid=14868