‘The Crucible’ Gets a Modern Twist

Photo Courtesy / ESU Flickr “The Crucible” written by American playwright Arthur Miller, is based on the 1692-93 Salem witch trials. Photo Courtesy / ESU Flickr
“The Crucible” written by American playwright Arthur Miller, is based on the 1692-93 Salem witch trials.

By Samantha Werkheiser
Editor-in-Chief

“The Crucible” was a big hit among audiences who went to see it last week. The production, directed by Professor Stephanie French, was an adaption of Arthur Miller’s famous play.

The first scene included a rendition of a popular Rihanna song, performed by student Deijah Faulkner, who played a slave named Tituba.

The modern song added a fresh new twist to an American classic.

Musical theatre major Abigail Witt played the part of the vindictive and conniving Abigail Williams perfectly.

Witt stole the stage in every scene she was in, her character became very easy to hate.

“She has a very dark and twisty mindset that I don’t have,” said Witt of her Abigail Williams character.

When the Abigail Williams character stuck the Betty Parris character across the face in scene two, the audience let out gasps.

Rashiek Lauren as John Proctor commanded attention when he was onstage as well, the anger in his voice seemed so real.

Lauren truly tapped into his emotions and connected with Proctor in a way that the other actors did not seem to connect with their characters.

The stage makeup on Rebecca Nurse and Francis Nurse was also expertly done, transforming young college students into elderly folks.

Sarah Thatcher, who played Rebecca Nurse, had a wise tone in her voice and seemed to be an excellent fit for the role she was chosen to play.

The stage shape was unique as well. A small part of the stage jutted out, but this part wasn’t utilized very often.

Behind the stage was a room with an opaque window, this was heavily utilized during the scene where Giles Corey was crushed by the boulder.

The main issue with this rendition of the play was the time period in which it was set in.

The year was supposed to be 2050, but this remained very unclear throughout the entire play.

It wasn’t until the second act when the screen behind the stage said what year it was supposed to be.

The costumes were also inconsistent with the year it was supposed to be set in.

The Abigail Williams and Elizabeth Proctor costumes were old-timey, whereas the girls in the chorus were dressed in 1950s schoolgirl attire.

Though French was aiming for the time period to be ambiguous, it may have been made too opaque.

To purchase tickets for upcoming ESU Theatre productions, visit esu.edu/theatretickets.

Email Samantha at:
swerkheis4@live.esu.edu