The Crucible

In the rigid theocracy of Salem, rumors that women are practicing witchcraft galvanize the town’s most basic fears and suspicions. When Abigail Williams accuses Elizabeth Proctor of being a witch, church leaders and townspeople insist that Elizabeth be brought to trial. When John Proctor attempts to save his wife, he quickly finds himself also accused of witchcraft and drawn into the hysteria of the town. The ruthlessness of the prosecutors and the eagerness of neighbors to turn on one another stands as a study of the debilitating power of guilt, the seductions of power, the flawed nature of the individual, and the courage with which some people confront what seems to be a ruling orthodoxy.Our production of THE CRUCIBLE is an actor-driven, highly physical, stripped-down, and immersiveproduction of Arthur Miller’s seminal play. The production will explore Poor Theater using found objects, Puritan Spiritualism, the actor-spectator relationship, and collaborative Story Theater. Featuring the largest undergraduate cast of the semester, our production is collaboratively designed by our ensemble members. Staged in the round, every element of the show–from lighting to sound effects to music–will be created on the spot. As such, no two performances will be the same on this Halloween weekend.We hope that this production will be a celebration of acting, creativity, and artistic collaboration at Yale. This is not your high school’s CRUCIBLE.