To See or Not to See: The Crucible

No one—no matter how good of spirit–is safe from the vengeful accusations of a mob. We’re reminded of this chilling fact in the Broadway revival of Arthur Miller’s infamous 1953 play, The Crucible. The revival as directed by Ivo van Hove, The Crucible is at once powerful and perplexing.

The Crucible is a cautionary tale that Arthur Miller wrote and that is commonly seen as a response to the McCarthyism era of the early 1950s. Using the setting of the Salem witch trials of the late 1600s, Miller was able to show audiences and readers the dangers of mass hysteria and intolerance of social deviation. A group of young women in Salem turn the town upside down when they begin accusing people of witchcraft. Under their fanatical faith of religion, the judges and religious leaders blindly support the girls in their vengeful hunt–even though it is obvious the girls’s accuse those that they did not like or felt slighted by. Through this story, Miller was able to express how timeless those themes of hysteria and intolerance are since they applied to not only the Salem witch trials in the play, but also allegorically to what he had experienced during McCarthy’s Red Scare era in America. Indeed, Ivo van Hove’s production supports that idea of timelessness as he depicts The Crucible in a more contemporary setting.

The set, while polished, was slightly distracting. Ivo van Hove’s previous directorial work has created very minimalist productions that force audiences to focus on the actors and the dialogue (i.e. the recent Broadway revival of A View from the Bridge). In The Crucible, however, the set is a very detailed. The show’s only set is a Catholic schoolroom. Desks–once orderly–are strewn about. The chalkboard has a proverb written on it and spans most of the back wall (and is used several different times throughout the play). Since nothing in the play (dialogue or characters) obviously relate to a school-setting, van Hove is asking audiences to make the connection on their own: the rigidity of the Catholic school system, the strict authoritarian figures, and the conformity of the school uniforms all mimic the rigidity of Puritans’ lifestyle and belief system during the Salem Witch trials. However clever that interpretation is, taking the time to think more deeply about the meaning of the set and costumes puts a lot of onus on the average theater-goer.

The power of any production of The Crucible, though, lies with the actors. In this case, many of the actors were, not surprisingly, superb.  The protagonist character of John Proctor is important to get right. Ben Whishaw, while physically unlike past actors tackling the role (bigger more brawny actors like Liam Neeson and Daniel Day-Lewis), captures a more tender side of John Proctor that is normally not emphasized. Whishaw exudes a quiet strength, a stalwart mind, and a tender heart (especially when it comes to his wife). As his wife, Elizabeth, Sophie Okenedo matches his quiet strength well. Although I found their initial onstage chemistry lacking, by the end of the show, Whishaw and Okenedo’s bond was quite evident. The cast overall was solid, but a few other standouts include Jim Norton (a heartbreaking Giles Corey), Saorise Ronan (her Abigail Williams is cold-hearted and venomous), and Brenda Wehle (the character of Rebecca Nurse has always been a beacon of reason and compassion in Miller’s play; that shines through thanks to Wehle’s no-nonsense portrayal. You can practically feel the goodness of Rebecca Nurse radiating from Wehle.).

Despite the issue of the Catholic school setting, the compelling acting allows the important and timeless themes of The Crucible to resonant with audiences today. So, for those who have not (and even for those that have) seen a production of it, get thee to the Walter Kerr Theater!

*The Crucible is on Broadway through July 17.

Photo Credit: Philip Rinaldi Publicity