Local theater tackles freedom of speech debate with ‘1984’ screening

It’s a philosophical question that’s been asked for generations: Does life imitate art?
For the 30 people in attendance at Jump Cut Theater’s Carnegie Stage, the topic was given a modern-day spin, as the theater hosted a viewing of the 1984 screen adaptation of George Orwell’s science fiction novel “1984,” followed by a panel discussion on media, free speech and constitutional rights.
The panel consisted of former Pittsburgh Post-Gazette cartoonist Rob Rogers, ACLU of Pennsylvania Vice President of Development Brenda Lee Green and attorney John Gisleson.
The film depicts one man’s resistance against his government’s efforts for a totalitarian regime, which includes total control over all citizens by way of viewing and listening devices used by the “Thought Police” and its supreme leader known as “Big Brother.”
The Nov. 1 screening marked the second year in a row for such an event. In April 2017, 90 independent cinemas across the country screened the film as a nationwide effort to raise awareness to today’s political climate.
Though the film ‘1984’ was fittingly released that year, many at the Carnegie Stage said it bears a striking resemblance to today’s political state, with President Donald Trump regularly calling the free press the enemy of the people and erroneously declaring many news outlets as “fake news.”
“People are making so many connections between the film and modern day,” said Jump Cut Theater Board President Susan Mazur. “We’re not taking sides. This is just a discussion. This is more for the audience than it is for us.”
Rogers, a political cartoonist for the Post-Gazette for 25 years, regularly criticized Trump before being fired from the newspaper earlier this year. He didn’t mince words when he discussed the president’s rhetoric.
“They scare you and this is how they get elected,” Rogers said. “We’re living in a time where somebody who tells the truth is a resistance fighter.”
Rogers’ firing angered many of his fans.
“Soft censorship happens in our everyday lives,” Green said. “It happens when we speak to others, it happens when we post online, and it can it can happen at our employment because that is a private place of business. Hard censorship is when the government tries to do it, and that’s when it becomes unconstitutional.”
Many of the questions from the audience displayed frustration and anger towards the current administration’s policies and procedures, and Gisleson offered advice to those in attendance.
“We’re not living in Orwell’s ‘1984’, but some of the concepts are being used,” he said. “We can question, and we need to be informed. You can’t simply accept what people tell you. We now know that big money is American royalty. If you’re unhappy with it, you have to get out and vote.”
The film and discussion made an impact as people left the theater.
“I like seeing events like this because it encourages change,” said 64-year-old Joanne Vandenhengel of Ingram. “I read the book but this was my first time seeing the movie. The movie had a lot of good points about ignorance, drinking the Kool-Aid, and getting people to cooperate. Ignorance is the biggest weapon of all.”