You wouldn’t want the decision of your execution left in the hands of children would you? This is the situation in which the characters of Arthur Miller’s play, The Crucible, that the RPI Players are currently presenting, find themselves.
The play is set during Puritan New England’s Salem Witch Trials. Four girls in their early teens, led by the crafty Abigail Williams (Katie Muto), are caught dancing in the woods by the minister (John Pettingill), an action that was not allowed during the time period. To keep from getting into trouble, the girls pretend to have hallucinations, claiming to be bewitched by women in their town.
This triggers a series of pointing fingers and blaming others in court hearings. In order for the accused to keep from being hanged, they must “confess” to dealing with the devil and give names of others that “were involved.” Those suspected would produce names of anyone not already accused they could think of in order to clear their own name.
One member of the town, John Proctor (Jacob Brode), tries to challenge the girls and the court system in order to save his wife, Elizabeth (Jess Menrath), from being executed for witchcraft. He has to put his life and pride on the line in order to convince the judge and minister that the girls have been making up their experiences of witchcraft and deceiving the whole town.
The Players presented The Crucible by performing on two stages simultaneously. One stage was set behind the other, separated by a thin sheet. The action on this rear stage consisted mainly of the characters’ thoughts, and depictions of their reflections of events. The rear stage does not contain sound. This window into characters’ minds really helps keep the play flowing and gives a visual reference to the dialogue.
The Crucible has a serious tone that the Players keep throughout the play. There is also an atmosphere of supernatural mystery that is kept with the use of mystical or spooky music during set changes and intermission.
Each set is simple, they do not distract the audience from the dialogue and character interaction. Most of the play action occurs towards the center of the stage; those with seats on the sides of the theatre will not miss much.
The acting is supreme. Muto’s cunning smile is the icing on the cake of Abigail’s character. All the characters create an atmosphere of confusion and suspicion during the Puritan world. They pull the audience into the story and cause frustration as Proctor tries to enlighten members of the town that refuse to believe him. Pay close attention to Brode, as he is hard to understand every once in awhile.
The Crucible is definitely worth checking out this weekend. The play is showing Friday and Saturday at 8 pm, and tickets cost $5 with an RPI ID. A word of warning: when heading for the theatre, do not be prepared for a feel-good happy ending; rather, be prepared to think about judgment and scapegoats.
