The Crucible

Editorial

When: 26 Oct-14 Nov '09
Where: Optus Playhouse, QPAC
Bookings: qtix

Winner of the 1953 Tony Award for Best Play, The Crucible tells of a group of deeply religious young girls who are caught dancing naked in the woods one night, and claim they had been seduced by witchcraft. One of the girls, Abigail, accuses leading townsfolk John Proctor and his wife Elizabeth of devil-worship, and it's not long before the small community of Salem is ripped apart by hysteria, fear and accusations, and those accused are faced with an impossible dilemma.

Based on actual events in the late 17th century that led to the famous Salem witch trials, Miller wrote in the play in the early 1950s as a response to the conservative and panicked wave of McCarthyism sweeping the United States at the time.

Gow and a cast of 19 actors present a contemporary take on this gripping masterpiece that remains a profound plea for honesty, courage and reason. "This modern revival of Miller's classic work is a powerful portrayal of the damaging effects of intolerance, bigotry, paranoia and applies just as much to the current climate of religious and political extremism as it did during the McCarthy era during which it was written, and the Salem witch trials in which it's set," says Gow. "The ability to stage a production with a cast of 19 actors is a rare one that bucks the trend in Australian theatre and is a challenge the Company eagerly anticipates."

Tim Hunter, Citysearch