Even with television’s hit Lost, the classics still resonate.  Lord of the Files leaves the printed page for an excellent stage production inaugurating the 25^th anniversary of the Wheelock Family Theater.  Demanding and complex, the cast of not-yet-in high school teenagers performed a stellar professional production, perfect for children and adults.  And fear not Lost fans; there’s no performances on Wednesdays.

While featuring a cast of children, Lord of the Flies remains one of the scariest and bleakest stories read in the classroom.  Set during World War II, a plane of school children fleeing war-torn England crash onto an uninhabited island where they attempt to organize their own society.  Factions divide between those looking for organization and those succumbing to primal savagery.

Wheelock Family Theater has spent the past 25 years offering wonderful productions aimed at attracting children and families to the stage.  Their consistently young and ambitious casts are continued in this new production.  And Lord of the Flies is not an easy play.

Dealing with themes of the state of civilization and the lengths people will go, Lord of the Flies feels topical and profound from the youthful cast.  These mature are executed wonderfully by the brilliant ensemble.  Ralph (Jacob Liberman) leaks with timid leadership and fear while Piggy (Jacob Brandt) speaks his repetitive and often annoying calls with intelligence and authority.  Jack (Andrew Barbato) earned his juicy roles, portraying the leader of the choir as a truly menacing villain; one with more going on in his head than the entire cast of last year’s Survivor.

The production value equally impressive with a large stage covering in structures shaped like wooden waves, creating a fascinating visual of levels and an obviously challenging playground for the actors.  Lighting peaks out from the center wave creating an inventive fire complete with varying levels of smoke.  The lighting also helps structure some of powerful scenes.  Just a note, a substantial amount of the plays takes place on the thrust portion of the stage, making the forward seats on the wings uncomfortable for necks.

Interestingly, the play utilizes dances with hard stomping that echoes on the wooden planks.  There is some poetry in the script that mixes with the rhythms helping to create the dark and primal mood that the story follows.  In fact, the scariest moments come when the characters break into the almost abstract dances that feel awkward in the otherwise straight-forward production, but are so engaging and emotional they are worth the structural imperfections.

The script, however well acted and directed, had its failings, many of which would have made for an already extremely demanding performance from such young actors.  Nevertheless, the play feels rushed.  The fascinating group of supporting characters barely get developed limiting the impact the major turning points in the second and third acts.  Shock value makes the moments important, but they fail to linger.

Getting in a compare and contract exercise, the play also drops the powerful symbolism almost entirely when the stage could highlight them better than in the novel.  Several props/symbols spend almost the entire play on stage and yet their meaning gets lost in a far too literal interpretation of a fantastic story.  The name Lord of the Flies has little meaning with the current script.

As flawed as the script is on a critical level, the production wins with excellent and impressive performances from its young actors and high class production.  Families should make an event of this play, perfect to introduce children to an exciting and unique literary masterpiece.  The story will be scary for young kids, but it will be worth the vivid discussion it will inspire.

Lord of the Flies will be playing at the Wheelock Family Theater through November 20^th.  For more information call 617-879-2000 or go to www.wheelock.edu/wtf.