By Erik Kvarnberg
Originally written during the time of McCarthyism, Arthur Miller’s play The Crucible (1953) turns a mirror onto the masses with a story about the Salem Witch Trials.
“Producing this play now is more timely than when it first premiered in the 1950s,” said William Hayes, who is directing the show for Palm Beach Dramaworks during its current run through April 19 at the Don and Ann Brown Theatre on Clematis Street in West Palm Beach.
In Miller’s play, the community of Salem, Mass., is gripped with fear in 1692 over the idea that witches are living among them. Chaos ensues, neighbors turn on each other, and religious fervor bypasses justice. Written out of Miller’s personal experiences during the persecutionary years of the U.S. House Un-American Activities Committee, the play — which is the most-produced play of Miller’s career — captures the influence of paranoia and extremism on human behavior.
“The comparison is going to be obvious,” said Hayes. “Folks, we’ve been doing this for 300-plus years. The difference is the stakes get higher every time.”
The Crucible is one of many plays Hayes says felt urgent to produce, stemming from his personal outspoken nature and forcing him to reflect in the same way he wants the audience to. “Doing a show like this gets me to reflect on myself and ask why I didn’t do more to try to stop this kind of stuff from happening,” he said.
Driving Miss Daisy, the Alfred Uhry play that Dramaworks produced earlier in the season, follows not-unrelated lines, but with an upbeat attitude.
“I never want people to think there’s no hope. It served as a reminder that two people from very different cultures can come together and, through dialogue, become best friends. When people talk, beautiful things happen,” Hayes said. “The theater can be a powerful pulpit. My job is not to tell people what to think, but to get people to think and to talk.”
With a cast of 20, Dramaworks’ production of The Crucible focuses on building the circumstances that allow the events of 1692 Salem to ring truer than ever.
The cast includes Tom Wahl as the Rev. Samuel Parris, Karen Stephens as Tituba, Elizabeth Yancey as Abigail Williams, Tom Patterson as John Proctor, Julie Kleiner as Elizabeth Proctor, Margery Lowe as Ann Putnam and Sarah Good, Nick Jordan as the Rev. John Hale, Andy Prosky as Deputy Gov. Thomas Danforth, and Rob Donohoe as Giles Corey. Other cast members include Kaia Davis (Betty Parris), Natalie Donahue McMahon (Susanna Walcott), John Leonard Thompson (Thomas Putnam), Barbara B. Bradshaw (Rebecca Nurse), Peter W. Galman (Francis Nurse), Judge John Hathorne (Gary Cadwallader), Seth Trucks (Ezekiel Cheever), Hannah Hayley (Mercy Lewis), Cat Boynton (Mary Warren), David Hyland (John Willard) and John Campagnuolo (Hopkins).
Hayes directs the production, with Jessica Chen as the assistant director. Scenic design is handled by Doug Wilkinson in his design debut (he is the company’s technical director), costumes are by Brian O’Keefe, José Santiago is the lighting designer, and Roger Arnold is the sound designer.
“It’s a play about community,” Hayes said. “You can’t have hysteria without the entire community contributing to it.”
If you go
What: The Crucible, by Arthur Miller
Where: Palm Beach Dramaworks, 201 Clematis St., West Palm Beach
When: Through April 19
Tickets: $95
More information: Visit palmbeachdramaworks.org or call 561-514-4042, ext. 2.