The Crucible From Night Fire Theatre is a Powerful Production That Broadcasts a Warning for Today

Looking around the sanctuary at the Living Spirit Methodist Church where Night Fire Theatre has mounted its production of Arthur Miller’s classic play The Crucible, I had one thought. This play is criminally under attended. Which puts me into full The Stages of MN action. This is why I started this, to share with people great shows they might not know were running. This is a great production, this is one you need to get to. I know what you are thinking, isn’t that a slow old timey play? No, it isn’t. It is a riveting production that, though written in the 50’s as an allegory for McCarthyism, feels frighteningly relevant today. How does a play written about events that occurred in the late 1600’s to shine a light on events in the 1950’s feel like it was written for today? Because as the play itself proclaims, “we are what we always were”. There will always be those among us that will use fear to stoke hatred in order to obscure their own faults. The Crucible tells the story of a group of young women led by Abigail Williams, whom it’s interesting to note that by the views of her society is guilty of sexual misdeeds, who prey upon the superstitions of a community whose critical thinking skills have been removed through religious indoctrination, at first to distract from the rules they broke and avoid punishment, and later as revenge against anyone that displeases them. Remind you of a certain President, convicted of sexual abuse and linked to child sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, who stokes fear among the religious right and Fox News cult to distract from his 34 felony convictions and other crimes against Immigrants, Transgender people, and anyone who disagrees with him?

Arthur Miller’s script stands on it’s own as a masterpiece of the American theater. It is perhaps the supreme example of the allegory as a technique to comment on society. Director Penelope Parsons-Lord has staged a compelling production against Scenic Designer Keven Lock’s simplified set constructed of wooden pallets. Parsons-Lord isn’t content to let the script speak for itself and present it straightforwardly on stage she takes advantage of the space having actors enter from every possible route, even using the balcony briefly. There are Directorial flourishes that help to create an emotional understanding of what is happening in the play. Such as the use of the Janis Joplin song “Piece of My Heart” in an early scene to convey to the audience that the young girls are simply being teenagers, dancing in the woods with their friends in a small display of private rebellion against their elders. Or the black ash that falls upon Salem in the final act, it has no explanation in reality, but it’s a striking visual to convey the sense that the soul of the city has been destroyed and what remains are the ashes of a once vibrant community.

There is nothing quite as thrilling as seeing great performances in an intimate space and this play gives us that. Derek Dirlam conveys an intensity and power as John Proctor, the everyman who must battle the irrationality of the court’s reasoning and blindness. Lizzie Esposito as Reverend Hale and Aaron Ruder as Deputy Governor Danforth are both fantastic at portraying their characters logic and beliefs whether accurate or misheld, their performances keep the tension mounting, giving glimmers of hope, and pangs of frustrated hope. Patti Gage as Reverend Parris seemed to be stumbling with her lines in the opening scenes, but soon overcame that and by the end her near hysterical performance was extremely effective at conveying her characters encroaching sense of doom and damnation. Isabelle Hopewell successfully gets us to despise her conniving and malignant Abigail Williams. Penelope Parsons-Lord along with directing and designing the costumes plays John Proctor’s wife Elizabeth broadcasting fear, intelligence, and finally a quiet air of nobility and bravery in the face of madness. Stephanie Kahle plays Mary Warren, The Proctors servant girl who is initially with Abigail but repents and tries to do the right thing. Her performance in the scene where she must face the Deputy Governor, Abigail and the other girls is heartbreaking. She vividly captures the emotional rollercoaster of fear battling conscience, her final act is made sympathetic by the emotional reality of her performance.

The Crucible is a must see show! Those who took in the recent production of The Messenger at Six Points Theater will find this to be a great companion piece. Night Fire Theatre’s production of The Crucible runs through April 12th at Living Spirit United Methodist Church in South Minneapolis. For more information and to purchase tickets go to https://www.nightfiretheatre.com/the-crucible

Now more than ever in the wake of the most recent election and the hailstorm of stupidity and hate it has unleashed, Theater companies need you and we need them. Buy tickets to shows go out and support work that reflects diversity and inclusiveness. Donate to your favorite theater companies, don’t wait until they are on the brink of shutting down. We all need to stand up and fight for our Theaters whose funding is under attack for promoting inclusion, equality and diversity.

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