An all-seeing eye bears down upon the interrogation room. A voice bellows from one of the many screens around the room, demanding precision. It’s impossible to remember it all. The decrepit room, with wallpaper peeling off of bricks, is alight with electric shock. You must be precise. Big Brother demands it.

George Orwell’s “1984” is one of the most influential dystopian novels of all time, its chilling exploration of surveillance and propaganda going on to inspire countless adaptations: plays, movies, artwork and so much more. The novel follows Winston Smith, living in a dystopian society under the oppressive omnipresence of Big Brother. An unremarkable employee at the Ministry of Truth, Winston is seduced not only by rebellion, but by his colleague, Julia. All ideas of lust and revolution come crashing down when he is finally caught and interrogated by the Ministry of Love for his crimes.

Rather than following an exact retelling, the Aurora Theatre Company’s stage production takes a more creative approach to the text. Winston (Joseph Patrick O’Malley) has already been caught by the Ministry of Love at the show’s onset — and going by the dirt and grime caked on him, it’s been a while since his capture. A disembodied voice and four ministry officers question him about his traitorous behavior in an attempt to “cure” him of what they argue is a deep-seated mental illness. 

The Aurora Theatre Company excels at storytelling through color. The claustrophobic world of “1984” is shaded with cold whites, grays and blues. But every so often, a pop of color emerges when the officers recreate the actions of those who rebelled — the red sash worn by an officer imitating Julia, the red suspenders of the officer pretending to play Winston. Warm colors also signify punishment, with the entire theater burning bright yellow as Winston is electrocuted as punishment for lying.

As the play unfolds, the actors’ nuanced performances shed acute light on the emotional turmoil that pervades “1984.” O’Malley demonstrates impressive range as the rapidly deteriorating Winston, who goes from sassing back to crying for mercy and unconditionally accepting the ministry agents’ allegations. Daniel Duque-Estrada, Megan Soledad, Brady Morales-Woolery and David Bryant add intrigue not only as the four officers, but also as they seamlessly switch between playing the various individuals Winston encounters in his diary. Even the disembodied voice of Warren David Keith — whose true role is revealed in the second act — sows terror as he demands precision, particularly during the most demanding questions of the interrogation.

Though “1984” has previously been explored through nearly every possible creative medium, the Aurora Theatre Company’s adaptation is a refreshingly complex take on the iconic story. The play evolves as a character study, both of Winston and the officers interrogating him. The officers are not just mindless instruments of the government, but ones that struggle with paradoxical rules and paranoia as the investigation devolves into chaos before the disembodied arbiter of Orwellian truth demands order.

It is as much torture for the agents as it is for Winston. Winston may have committed the crimes, but the agents are forced to reenact them to reveal the truth. This leads to the agents hurling accusations at each other as others go on the defense; some even get punished to show Winston the magnitude of his crimes. As it blurs the lines between the individual and the collective within hierarchy, Aurora’s production examines subtle layers of torture and reprieve. 

This production underscores perhaps the most horrifying Orwellian truth of all — that no one in that interrogation room truly has power. Under the all-seeing eyes of Big Brother, all behavior is suspicious behavior. The hierarchy of the surveillance state is all a fabrication to facilitate even more suspicion among the masses. 

The Aurora Theatre Company has done a phenomenal job adapting “1984” for the Berkeley stage, its interpretation breathing new life into the ever-relevant story. This rendition is staunchly horrifying and intriguing in a way that both those who struggled to get through the novel and those unfamiliar with the tale will be at the edges of their seats.