‘CRUCIBLE’ EXPLORES ORIGINAL WITCH HUNT

Yes, you guessed it: That book you were forced to read in high school is now a play being performed on campus.

But, I promise, it’s actually worth your time!

Based on true events, the classic 1953 play by Arthur Miller, “The Crucible,” is a dramatization of the infamous 1692-93 Salem witch trials.

The horrors experienced by this small, colonial Massachusetts village serve as far more than a simple tale of suffering, however, as Miller’s adaptation of events presents itself as a powerful allegory for not only the communist witch hunt going on in America at the time of the play’s writing, but also current political and social movements in 2019 that echo the same mass hysteria as Salem.

Truly, Miller’s play is a timeless classic, no matter how you feel about it.

There are plenty of undeniable moments that appeal to the base drama instinct in all of us and MHCC’s Theatre department has done a fantastic job of bringing that drama to the stage.

Theatre Director Mace Archer has put on another sublime show with the help of a stunning main cast. Wyatt Fisher and Kathryn Kellett star as the two leads, John and Elizabeth Proctor, respectively, with Sable Van Meter playing the rather despicable Abigail Williams.

All three are wonderful to see perform throughout the show, with the two Proctors putting on an exceptionally dramatic display, giving this classic tale a much-needed boost of energy.

When I sat down to see this play, I went in expecting to hear the same somewhat boring story I had heard so many times before. But once the cast filled the stage and the first lines were spoken, the performances slowly drew me in, making the whole show worth it.

By the conclusion, the presence in the room was heavy, still steeped in the emotional weight of John Proctor’s final scene. There’s always something to be said for the transformative abilities of the actors performing the material.

While not everyone might be a fan of stage plays, if you can appreciate a well-executed production, you’ll most certainly find some enjoyment in The Crucible.

If you’re interested in revisiting this tale through a new lens, then come see a showing at the MHCC Studio Theatre: at 7:30 p.m. tonight (Friday) and Saturday, May 17-18; or at 2 p.m. on Sunday, May 19.