A modern-day message
Published 1:01 pm Sunday, February 22, 2015
Sometimes, classics reverberate throughout the ages and feel just as fresh as they did when they were created.
That’s the case with many of renowned playwright Arthur Miller’s productions, but it was “The Crucible” that stuck out to Riverland Community College Director Lindsey Duoos Williams.
“When I read through this play, I asked myself, ‘Is this something that still resonates today?’” Williams said. “Frighteningly enough, yes it absolutely does.”
Riverland will put on Miller’s classic drama Feb. 25-28 and March 1. Winner of the 1953 Tony Award for Best Play, “The Crucible” is a classic of the American stage.
An exciting drama about the Puritan purge of witchcraft in old Salem, the play was Miller’s response to the McCarthy “witch hunts” of suspected communists in the 1950s, of which Miller himself was a target.
“It had this real relevance in the 1950s,” Williams said.
It’s that relevance that Williams thought was appropriate to showcase once again. “The Crucible” holds many themes, but it’s famous for illustrating the perils of so-called “group think” and the way society allows itself to be ruled through fear. Williams and cast see the way people can easily jump to conclusions on the Internet based on the way information is presented. As for fear?
“That’s something I think we’ve all seen, particularly in our news media today, is how fear is being used,” she said.
Though the play will still be set in 1692, the cast will find ways to show the audience just how relevant “The Crucible” can be to modern times, according to Williams.
“While the story and the characters will stay rooted in the historical time period, there are other ways we can tell the story to the audience throughout the play,” she said.
Tickets are $13 and are available for purchase online at www.riverland.edu/tickets, or in person and by phone. To purchase tickets or to receive more information, call the Riverland Theatre Box Office at (507) 433-0595, email boxoffice@riverland.edu, or visit the web site and download the brochure at www.riverland.edu/theatre.
“It’s heavy drama, but it’s such good drama,” Williams said. “This is a really exciting play, you’re hooked until the end.”
The Crucible”
When: 7:30 p.m., Feb. 25, 26, 27, 28 and March 1
Where: Frank W. Bridges Theatre
Ticket information: $13. Go to www.riverland.edu/tickets, stop by the box office, open 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Monday-Friday and one hour before the performances or by calling 507-433-0595.
Cast
Betty Parris Kylie Larson
Reverend Samuel Parris Robert Stangler
Tituba Karina Hernandez
Abigail Williams Lindsey McAlister
Susanna Wallcott Emily McAlister
Mrs. Ann Putnam Amoe Sato
Thomas Putnam Zack Huggan
Mercy Lewis Jodie Bratager
Mary Warren Ellie Dyke
John Proctor Vic Wylde
Rebecca Nurse Krista Johnson
Giles Corey Ben Deines
Reverend John Hale Jake Berndt
Elizabeth Proctor Claire Olson
(Feb. 25, 26, 27 and 28 performances)
Bry Thorson
(March 1)
Francis Nurse Randy Forster
Ezekiel Cheever Jacob Mueller
John Willard Tyler Holz
Judge Hathorne Jonathan Stowell
Deputy-Governor Danforth James Zschunke
Sarah Good Alexa Ferguson
Hopkins Danny Ziebell
Ruth Putnam Sarah Collett