"In a time of universal deceit, telling the truth is a revolutionary act".
- George Orwell
1984 by George Orwell
Adapted for the stage by Robert Owens, Wilton E. Hall Jr. and William A. Miles Jr.
Directed by Chuck Noland
Based on the iconic novel by George Orwell, 1984 brings us the story of Winston Smith, a cog in a giant machine. Physically and mentally under the omnipresent eye of Big Brother, Winston has been caught struggling for scraps of love and freedom in a world awash with distrust and violence. Winston is forced to confess his Thoughtcrimes before an unseen inquisitor.
Big Brother is ALWAYS watching you!
Sponsored by Dobie Edmunds, Lee Hunt, and Joan Meisel
Meet The Cast
Charles Noland (Director)
Charles comes to us from Southern California, where he has worked as a professional actor in film and TV for over 30 years. But theatre has always been his first love, and his work includes acting in five plays at CPAC some years ago. His favorites were Terra Nova and Art. Charles is very happy to be back in Cloverdale and more than excited to direct this important play.
Christopher Johnston (Winston)
A local poet, playwright, actor, director, and board member of the Cloverdale Performing Arts Center. Since 2017, Johnston has performed in numerous one-acts, full-length plays, staged readings, and open mic events. Additionally, Johnston directed the Sam Shepard classic True West for CPAC, and he wrote for and directed two Old Time Radio Plays, featuring Lucille Fletcher’s spine-tingling thrillers, Sorry, Wrong Number and The Hitchhiker.
As always, Johnston would like to thank his loving wife and kids for their patience and support of his artistic rambles.
Steven David Martin (O’Brien)
Steven is thrilled to be returning to the wonderful CPAC stage in this powerful production, directed by his best friend in the world. Currently Artistic Director of the Raven Players in Healdsburg, Steven has enjoyed a long theatrical career, working professionally at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival, Alabama Shakespeare Festival, California Shakespeare Festival, and the Edinburgh International Theatre Festival, among other theatrical haunts. Raven directing credits include The Laramie Project, The Comedy of Errors, If I Don’t Make It, I Love You, Deathtrap, Clybourne Park, and The Germans Upstairs. CPAC acting credits include roles in Lend Me a Tenor, Terra Nova, Moonlight and Magnolias, The Love List, and God of Carnage. Steven’s long overdue return to Cloverdale is dedicated to his colleague and dear friend, the late, great Jim de Priest, without whom this theatre space would not have been possible.
Jeanette Seisdedos (Julia)
Jeanette is thrilled to return to the CPAC stage after appearing in Misery. A Bay Area native now living in Cloverdale, her past roles include Chris in POTUS (LET), Jean in Dead Man's Cell Phone (Raven Players), Mayra Arundel in Hay Fever (Raven Players), and Viola in Twelfth Night (Raven Players). Offstage, Jeanette enjoys writing and spending time with her husband, two kids (ages 8 and 7), and their two goofy dogs. She is deeply grateful for the unwavering support of her friends and family—especially her husband, Dan, without whom this journey wouldn’t be possible.
Dan Stryker (Parsons)
Dan thought he was signing up for a play about the production of Van Halen’s classic album MCMLXXXIV and was looking forward to rocking out to “Jump,” “Panama” and “Hot for Teacher,” but this story about the dangers of fascism is cool, too. Dan has appeared in many CPAC productions, including A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Run for Your Wife, The Importance of Being Earnest, Rumors, Fuddy Meers and The 39 Steps, as well as the Raven Players’ Twelfth Night (With a Twist), Lost in Yonkers and The Germans Upstairs. He would like you to remember one indisputable historical fact that the Ministry of Truth cannot change: Sammy Hagar sucks.
Robert Bauer (Charrington):
Over the past ten years, Robert has been cast in a variety of Cloverdale Performing Arts Center productions, including: November, 33 Variations, Heroes, Blithe Spirit, Night of the Iguana, Our Town, Jekyll and Hyde, and the Old Time Radio Show. He’s very happy to be back on the CPAC stage, and would like to thank director Charles Noland and his cast & crew mates for this wonderful opportunity. Lastly, many thanks for the endless support from his wife Virginia, who hates to run lines, but apparently loves him enough she does it anyway.
Matt Farrell (Syme)
Matt is thrilled to be a part of this wonderful show. He has been associated with CPAC since 2012, and has been a community theater actor in Sonoma and Marin counties for just over twenty years. As well as upon this stage, he has performed numerous times with the Raven Players, Novato Theatre Company, Spreckels Performing Arts Center, Sonoma Arts Live, and 6th Street Playhouse. Matt was most recently seen at CPAC in Dan Stryker’s Sulu’s Gun as part of last year’s One Act Play Festival. He will appear next month in Jacquelyn Wells’s Ghosted as part of this year’s festival. Other CPAC credits include: Haynes in The God of Hell, Ben Hecht in Moonlight and Magnolias, Captain Lawrence Oates in Terra Nova, Reverend Shannon in The Night of the Iguana, Jack Stapleton in The Hound of the Baskervilles, Bob Phillips in How the Other Half Loves, and Einstein in Picasso at the Lapin Agile. Look for Matt this summer as Glenn Cooper in Neil Simon’s Rumors with Sonoma Arts Live, and as an ensemble member in School of Rock with the Raven Players.
Alessandra Ziviani (Mrs. Parsons, Announcer)
Alessandra is very excited to be a part of 1984. Alessandra was a CPAC board member from 2020-2022. She moved to Cloverdale in 2017 from New York City. Originally from Los Angeles, "Sandy" received her B.A. in Theatre from San Jose State University and her Master of Fine Arts in Acting from The Actors' Studio at New School in NYC. She has appeared in the Off Broadway productions Women and Wallace (Sara) directed by Arthur Storch, The Servant of Two Masters (Clarice) directed by Stuart Vaughan, and The Effects of Suburbia (Jessica Tildon) directed by Joe Ragno. Alessandra formed her own theatre company in 2008. Little Light Productions was a non-profit company dedicated to bringing new works and voices to the theater community in NYC. Alessandra directed CPAC's production of Durang Durang, and was last seen here in Talley's Folly, (Sally Talley) and The 39 Steps (Anabella, Margaret, and Pamela). She was last seen at The Raven Theater Company's production All About Ives. She is very happy to be able to be involved in creating and sharing theater with the Cloverdale community.