Cast Announced For THE CRUCIBLE

Hunger Theatre, an NYC-based theatre company, self-described as "small but relentless in our pursuit of excellent storytelling," will honor one the 20th Century's greatest storytellers, Arthur Miller, with a new production of The Crucible. Performing at Access Theatre Gallery, 380 Broadway, 4th Floor, New York City. Opening May 2; Running Thursday-Sunday @ 8pm through May 18. Special matinee performance, Saturday, May 11 @ 3pm. "Scrappy, weird, hungry theatre-makers" (www.hungertheatre.com/thecrucible)

Allison Wick, co-founder of Hunger Theatre, will direct and appear in The Crucible. The cast, like the company itself, is non-traditional and unique, with a third of the actors in the ensemble playing multiple roles. "I want to combine the emotion and urgency of the piece with the opportunity for experimentation that smaller ensemble and pared-down production affords." Ms. Wick further remarked, "This play is a masterpiece. It doesn't need to be 'reimagined' to make it compelling or relevant. That being said, our production won't be stuffy or strictly by-the-book."

The Crucible cast includes:

Brian Vestal* (John Proctor)
Samantha Wendorf (Elizabeth Proctor)
Allison Wick (Abigail Williams)
Joseph Cordaro (Reverend Hale)
Madeline Adelle Phillips* (Mary Warren)
Stan Buturla* (Deputy-Governor Danforth)
Zuri Washington* (Tituba/Martha Corey)
Arshia Panicker (Ann Putnam/Susanna Walcott/Sarah Good)
Alex Orthwein (Thomas Putnam/John Willard)
Richard Wayne* (Judge Hathorne/Francis Nurse)
Jim Staudt* (Reverend Parris/Ezekiel Cheever)
Nancy Fox* (Rebecca Nurse)
Luke Wehner* (Giles Corey)
Emily Suuberg (Mercy Lewis)
Sharon Romano (Betty Parris)
Kelly McCready* (Abigail Williams u/s)

*Member of Actors' Equity Association

The Crucible is a 1953 play by legendary American playwright Arthur Miller. It is a dramatized (and partially fictionalized) story of the Salem witch trials of 1692-93. Miller wrote the play as an allegory for McCarthyism - the anti-communist witch hunt against trade unionists, artists, and leftist activists which was in full swing at time of his writing the play.

Hunger Theatre's mission: "To produce great plays, new and old, with simplicity, playfulness, and daring. To conduct emotional electricity. To serve the human truth of each story above all else." Co-founded by Ms. Wick and Luke Wehner, alumni of Circle in the Square Theatre School and students of prominent acting coach, Ken Schatz, Hunger Theatre began in 2016 with a series of new one-act plays and later, a showcase production of Mark Schultz' Everything Will Be Different. Show-Score gave this production a plethora of accolades, including "First off, the entire cast deserves a standing ovation for their performance. Allison Wick (Charlotte) laid it all on the stage and it was magnificent. Ms. Wick handles the emotional weight brilliantly." "The lead actress is so brilliant that it's worth seeing just for that... The story is powerful, well written and leaves you truly impacted. This is the kind of theater that makes me love living in New York."