Written in 1953, Arthur Miller's The Crucible is one of the most important and powerfully written plays of the 20th century. On the surface it is a partically fictionalised retelling of the Salem Witch Trials of the 1690s, but at the same time is a powerful allegory of McCarthyism in 1950s America, where suspected Communsits were hounded and persecuted. The play serves as a warning against the effects of rampant suspicion and paranoia in all societies and has as much to say today as it ever did.
The plot is taken from the true-life events in Salem, Massachusetts in 1692 when a group of young girls accused their fellow villagers of practicing witchcraft, leading to the executions of 19 men and women (and two dogs). Miller, having read through all of the court transcripts and looking for the motives behind the accusations, spun them into a compelling tale of repression, religious intolerance and sexual jealousy.
I am planning to perform this in Prompt Corner with the minimum of trappings, concentrating as much as possible on the story and the motivations behind the characters. We will not be using period costume but all characters will wear black and white to reflect the Puritanism of the age. This does not mean that it is a ‘modernised’ version in any way- the dialogue provides any necessary antiquity and grounds the characters in their time although the story itself is timeless.
Cast
John Proctor - Matthew Lyne
Abigail Williams - Maya Gabrielle Talbot
Elizabeth Proctor - Helen Chadney
Rev Parris - Simon Holland
Rev Hale - David Blatcher
Thomas Putnam - Richard Nield
Anne Putnam - Samantha Golton
Dep Gov Danforth - Michael Wilson
Judge Hathorne - Andrew Davis
Tituba - Angela Barnes
Mary Warren - Rebecca Brough
Mercy Lewis - Ella Rigby Lewenstein
Betty Parris - Gaby Curry
Susannah Walcott - Jessamy Lowe
Marshall Herrick - TBA
Ezekiel Cheever - Matthew Griffiths
Francis Nurse - Peter Medd
Rebecca Nurse - Linda East
Giles Corey - John Lyne
Sarah Good - Pam Lyne
For more details, please contact Anton Krause, Director
