Opening Friday, 'Crucible' mirrors modern society

With Halloween last week and Thanksgiving well on its way, it seems only fitting that "The Crucible," a play featuring witch hunts and pilgrims, should open this week. The IU Department of Theatre and Drama will open the iconic American play at 7:30 p.m. Friday at the Ruth N. Halls Theatre.\nSet in Salem, Mass., a young girl, Abigail, played by senior Jessica Rothert, fends off accusations of witchcraft by manipulating other girls to turn the blame around and "cry witch" about other members of the Puritan community. Obsessed with John Proctor, played by graduate student John Armstrong, Abigail involves him in the trials. First she accuses his wife Elizabeth, graduate student Lilia Vassileva, of witchcraft and later she points the finger at Procter. The trial is presided over by Gov. Danforth, played by guest actor and member of the Actors' Equity Association Dan Kremer. As the lies and accusations mount, the state of the town and its people slowly deteriorate. \n"The hysteria and human relationships are incredibly strong," Rothert said. "(These characters) are all so human that it's magnified. These emotions are in all of us -- we are all these characters if we let go of moral checks and balances."\nArthur Miller's "The Crucible" used the Salem Witch Trials of the 17th century to comment on modern-day society, which in 1952, when his novel was penned, was plagued with McCarthyism and the Red Scare. \nHowever, Armstrong said that the magic of this play is that it transcends the decades and parallels present-day social climates. \nA unique aspect of this production is that the cast of 36 will include 16 people perched above the stage, merely assigned to witness everything going on during each performance. The other 20 cast members will also remain on stage constantly throughout the show. This production decision symbolizes the idea that people too often stand back and watch bad events unfold without doing anything to fix them when it would only take one person to get involved and wake everyone up, said senior Nick Arapoglou, playing Reverend Hale. \nWith well-known director Fontaine Syer and featured guest actor Kremer, "The Crucible" has a lot of potential.\n"(The audience) is guaranteed to have a wonderful, theatrical experience -- not a history lesson," Armstrong said. "It's not meant to be a history lesson."\n"The Crucible" will be playing at 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday, as well as Nov. 13-18, at the Ruth N. Halls Theatre. Tickets are $13 to $16 and can be purchased at the IU Auditorium Box Office or through www.ticketmaster.com. Visit www.indiana.edu/~thtr for more information.