The Crucible
The Crucible
by Arthur Miller
The Grand Theatre | March 8 – 24, 2012
This exciting drama about the Puritan purge of witchcraft in old Salem is both a gripping historical play and a timely parable of our contemporary society. The story focuses upon a young farmer, his wife, and a young servant-girl who maliciously causes the wife’s arrest for witchcraft. The farmer brings the girl to court to admit the lie—and it is here that the monstrous course of bigotry and deceit is terrifyingly depicted. The farmer, instead of saving his wife, finds himself also accused of witchcraft and ultimately condemned with a host of others.
SAMUEL PARRIS | Jon McBride
THOMAS PUTNAM | Stephen Williams
ELIZABETH PROCTOR | Cassandra Stokes-Wylie
REBECCA NURSE | Barb Smith
ANN PUTNAM/SARAH GOOD | Darla Davis
JOHN PROCTOR | David Hanson
BETTY PARRIS | Robin E. Young
ABIGAIL WILLIAMS | Sahara Hayes
JOHN HALE | Tyson Baker
GILES COREY | Richard Scharine
FRANCIS NURSE | Ron Frederickson
MERCY LEWIS | Talia Heiss
MARY WARREN | Sheridan Underwood
SUSANNA WALCOTT | Caitlin Lanzel
JOHN WILLARD | John Rowland
JUDGE HAWTHORNE | Matt Bennett
EZEKIEL CHEEVER | Connor Montgomery
TITUBA | Toni Byrd
JUDGE DANFORTH | Max Robinson
STAGE MANAGER | Joe Killian
ASSISTANT DIRECTOR | JJ Peeler
ASSISTANT STAGE MANAGER | Caroline Cain
ASSISTANT STAGE MANAGER | Sarah Young
SET | Keven Myhre
LIGHTS | Spencer Brown
COSTUMES | Alyssa Edlund
SOUND | Joe Killian
PROPS | Máire Nelligan
HAIR & MAKEUP | Yancey J. Quick
TECHNICAL DIRECTION | Seth Miller
“Such was the darkness of that day, the tortures and lamentations of the afflicted, and the power of former precedents that we walked in the clouds and could not see our way.” – The Reverend John Hale, A Modest Inquiry Into The Nature Of Witchcraft
In Salem, Massachusetts in 1692 a storm hit: a storm of fear and suspicion that swept the village, based on lurid tales of witchcraft from some young girls. While the girls first accused outcasts from the isolated Puritan society, more and more people were named as the panic grew. Those named in turn named others in a desperate bid to escape the hangman’s noose. In a small town of 600 people, 200 were jailed and at least 25 lost their lives.
As Arthur Miller wrote The Crucible in 1952, another storm was sweeping America: McCarthyism. Joe McCarthy, a young Senator from Wisconsin, was the most visible face of a movement to root out suspected Communists throughout the United States. Again, those being questioned were asked to name others in order to show cooperation with the investigation. Hundreds were imprisoned, and over ten thousand lost their livelihoods.
The story of our American Crucibles doesn’t end there, however. Miller’s play doesn’t just describe America in 1692 or 1952. Today we see The Crucible through post-9/11 eyes that have a fresh memory of true national fear. What can fear make us do? In trying to save our communities, are there any limits? When neighbor turns on neighbor, what does “community” even mean? When we walk in the clouds, how do we see our way?
I am thankful to an amazing cast, crew, and design team … and especially to Richard Scott, The Grand Theatre, and The Cultural Vision Fund for their effort each year to stage the American classics. It is a wonderful opportunity for us all – artists and audience alike – to engage with these great works of art and see the meaning they still hold for us today.
