An impressive ‘Animal Farm’

“Animal Farm” at the McCadden Place Theatre proves an impressive outing for the Son of Semele Ensemble, an up-and-coming theater company founded in 2001.

In its short history, the company has gained considerably in maturity and expertise. In contrast with the ensemble’s somewhat rudimentary early productions of “Lava” and “Breath,” by Richard Foreman and Samuel Beckett, respectively, “Animal Farm” is gratifyingly polished.

George Orwell’s grim parable about a farm animal rebellion, and the rise to power of a cunning pig despot, is often construed as a polemic against the intrinsic evils of communism. As director Edgar Landa points out in his program notes, Orwell most likely intended a cautionary tale about the perils of voter apathy and an uninformed electorate -- a warning particularly apropos today.

Peter Hall’s musical adaptation, which features undistinguished lyrics and music by Adrian Mitchell and Richard Peaslee, respectively, was produced earlier this season at the Theatricum Botanicum, a much more spacious Equity venue. Landa deserves considerable credit for confining the action to the sub-99-seat McCadden’s postage-stamp stage without impeding its flow.

The excellent cast, spearheaded by the towering Michael Nehring as the tyrant pig, Napoleon, is collectively capable, although an occasional solo falls flat. Valiantly struggling with a malfunctioning instrument, musical director and pianist Leo Meza effectively marshals his performers, whose full-throated choruses compensate for the paucity of accompaniment.

David T. Edwards’ picturesquely battered set, Chris Greulach’s brooding lighting and Al Sgro’s cacophonous sound set the dystopian tone. Huge masks, designed by Deborah Bird, are strapped atop the actors’ heads like helmets. When the actors tip their heads down, their faces are completely obscured. Handsome and magnificently constructed though they may be, the masks prove an emotional barrier between the audience and the actors. One yearns for these performers to raise their chins and reveal the human expressions.

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‘Animal Farm’

Where: McCadden Place Theatre, 1157 N. McCadden Place, Hollywood

When: Thursdays-Saturdays, 8 p.m.; Sundays, 7 p.m.

Ends: Nov. 24

Price: $20

Contact: (323) 860-9970

Running Time: 2 hours, 30 minutes