Ryerson Theatre School

Set in Salem, Massachusetts, in 1692, the play begins with a group of naked girls dancing in a forest around a fire. One of the women is found unconscious on the ground. Stories of witchcraft arise and the town begins to talk. Trials ensue. Townsfolk are accused of witchcraft. Others are indicated with lying during the trials. Adultery is revealed, provoking a truly extraordinary test of the human spirit. The witchcraft trials divide the town into those who want something for themselves and those who are willing to fight for what is right.

The Crucible was written in 1953 as an allegory; McCarthyism spread like a fire over the United States condemning thousands of people including the likes of Bertolt Brecht, Lillian Hellman, Clifford Odets and Charlie Chaplin. Miller himself was not even immune from the paranoia and was brought up before the ‘committee’ in 1956.

It is a play that continues to resonate every year with its main themes of intolerance, hysteria, and fear. Even today, we can find many parallels around the world varying in degrees of instability. To me, this play will always be about the human spirit and a reminder of those who have given their lives to delirium.

As an acting exercise, it is one of the great marathons for any actor of any worth. The detail in orchestration, drive, simplicity, emotional connection, and varying tone needed by the actor is tremendous. One ounce of false theatrical muscle can be disastrous.