By Jade Goodes
Last weekend I visited Parish Hill Barn, where audiences are being taken on a journey to Salem, Massachusetts, where rumors, accusations, and fear run wild. Vigilance Theater Group is putting audiences in the heart of The Salem Witch Trials in their latest immersive production of Arthur Miller’s The Crucible. This production excels at peeling back the layers of this story and revealing the fear and desperation that lingers beneath it all.
The Crucible takes place in Salem during The Salem Witch Trials. Written during The Red Scare, the play explores the fear and hysteria that permeated American society during the McCarthy era. The play follows the community of Salem after a group of young girls in the town mysteriously come down with an incurable illness after dancing in the woods with the enslaved woman Tituba. When Abagail Williams and her friends begin accusing Tituba and other people in the town of witchcraft, a reverend and the deputy governor are called in, and The Witch Trials commence. When countless people in the town stand accused of witchcraft, Elizabeth Proctor urges her husband, John, to prove these people’s innocence and the pretense of the young girl’s accusations and illnesses. John journeys to Salem, hoping to free the innocent people and, in turn, save his corrupt soul.
The Parish Hill Barn in North Park is the perfect setting for this show because it’s isolated from the rest of the park in the middle of the woods. The company takes advantage of this space by using it to truly immerse its audience into the story by putting them amongst the townsfolk of Salem. I was at first skeptical of the immersive nature of this show, but it is brilliantly done here. I felt more engaged than in other productions of The Crucible because it felt grounded and truthful. I felt the severity of the situation, and there seemed to be more at stake.
Arrive early to witness a brief pre-show and have the opportunity to mingle with some of the townspeople of Salem.
The Crucible’s hardworking cast strives to create an unsettling and chilling environment. The actors who make up the village’s young women are wonderful in helping sustain the vibe and ambiance of the play. Witnessing the young girls being in hysterics at court was one of the show’s more unsettling and impactful scenes.
I adored Jackie Mishol’s portrayal of Abigail Williams. In most productions, she is played as a conniving, mischievous villainess. In this production, I saw more of her childish ignorance, and I pitied her rather than despised her and felt her desperation to be seen, heard, loved, and protected.
Brett Sullivan Santry is electric as John Proctor. His commanding presence is impressive, and I loved watching him grapple with John’s reality while he struggles with what kind of man he is. Hearing his voice boom and echo through the woods is truly haunting and adds to the eeriness of this production.
Tamara Siegert plays Elizabeth Proctor in a way that is not as harsh and cold as she’s usually portrayed. I like how her illness is represented not only physically but also mentally. This Elizabeth Procter is one who is trying to be a good wife but is clearly being haunted by her past and the actions and decisions of her husband.
Maddie Kocur gives an emotionally charged performance as Mary Warren. This character is one I usually dislike, but I feel the audience gets to see the mental and physical abuse she’s being put through and her fear of resentment, abandonment, and exclusion. I appreciate the actors’ choices because the approach taken to these characters added a new dimension to the text.
Director Renee Rabenold said one of the reasons The Crucible was chosen for Vigilance’s season is its relevance today. We’re at a time when people are more politically and socially divided than ever before. There are dangerous accusations thrown around, and false information is widely spread, creating panic, doubt, and fear.
As much as we can look at the events of The Salem Witch Trials and think that wouldn’t happen to us, are we really that far removed? The Crucible is a stark reminder of what fear can drive people to do. It also makes you question your role in the search for sin and goodness.
The Crucible runs through April 16. Tickets can be purchased here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/the-crucible-tickets-546466003527?aff=ebdsoporgprofile
Categories: Reviews
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