Pacific Conservatory Theatre Will Present THE CRUCIBLE, Beginning February 15

Be afraid, be very afraid. In Miller's searing masterpiece, an invisible enemy unleashes a dangerous hysteria. As Artistic Director Mark Booher observed, "From time to time, we human beings have periods of moral panic that overtakes us." The Crucible is one such timeless telling. While focused on literal witch hunts, it is also an allegory for any number of misguided crusades through the ages, including ominous opinions against select groups of people in our current state of the world.

Director Roger DeLaurier said, "Fear permeated society at the time of the McCarthy hearings on un-American activities when Arthur Miller wrote this play, and fear permeates the world of The Crucible." Paranoia is a powerful agent, like a physical contagion, and it can spread swiftly with a devastating force and tear the social fabric to tatters.

DeLaurier observed that the community in 1692 which Miller has created, is ruled by theocracy, the church law and state law are one in the same. Sin and the status of the individual soul are matters of public concern. "It's a time that is, frankly, to our point of view, intolerant of anything that deviates from a prescribed way of being." When the play was first performed in New York in 1953, audiences were acutely aware of the similar perverse injustices of past and present though the play only speaks directly to a tragic period in American history when a group of girls took possession of Salem and were responsible for sending 19 honest men and women to the gallows. The Daily News wrote of the opening performance "..the piece is just what it sets out to be: a tragic drama about the historic Puritan purge of witchcraft. It is, as it ends, the story of an upright man who finds within himself the courage to be hanged rather than to confess a guilt he does not own." DeLaurier said the journey of John Proctor is one that should resonate with us all. "In a world that has become hysterical, how do we retain our goodness and make our way through this severe test amid a society in tumult? John Proctor's very human journey is one we can all recognize."

Under the direction of Roger DeLaurier, the design team includes Scenic Designer Jason Bolen, Costume Designer Eddy L. Barrows, Lighting Designer Tim Thistleton, Sound Designer Andrew Mark Wilhelm, Fight Choreographers Mark Booher and Peter S. Hadres, Voice & Dialect Coach Kitty Balay, and Movement by Katie Fuchs-Wackowski. The Production Stage Manager is Ellen Beltramo*

The cast of nearly 30 includes resident actors Don Stewart* as Reverend Samuel Parris, Karin Hendricks as Mrs. Ann Putnam, Erik Stein* as Thomas Putnam, Andrew Philpot* as John Proctor, Peter S. Hadres* as Giles Corey, George Walker as Reverend John Hale, Polly Firestone Walker as Elizabeth Proctor, Brad Carroll as Francis Nurse, Leo Cortez as Ezekiel Cheever, Mark Booher as Deputy-Governor Danforth, Katie Fuchs-Wackowski as Sarah Good, and guest artist Rosh Wright as Rebecca Nurse. 2nd year acting student Skye Privat plays Abigail Williams.

The Crucible won the Tony Award in 1953 for Best Play. While the play is based on historical fact, Miller took great artistic license to craft his story. The play was first adapted for a European film in 1957, and later adapted by Miller in 1996. The latter was nominated for two Oscars, including Best Screenplay. It featured Wynona Ryder and Daniel Day-Lewis and was Miller's only Academy Award nomination. It has also been produced several times for television. The 1968 TV production featured George C. Scott as John Proctor and Colleen Dewhurst as Elizabeth Proctor.