When Arthur Miller wrote The Crucible, he not only provided a profound story for English teachers to pick apart but also created the foundation of a solid play for actors to bring to life onstage. The Good Company Players are taking on the substantial play at the 2nd Space Theatre, Feb. 24-April 17.
As a student of both drama and AP English, I have come across The Crucible for analysis in both literary and theatrical standpoints. Both perspectives left me with appreciation and contemplation, so I looked to the Good Company Players for an equally intriguing experience.
Miller penned a trustworthy script, following the lives of individuals living in Salem, MA, during the witch trials in 1692. When Reverend Parris (Noel Adams) discovers a group of girls dancing in the woods and supposedly conjuring spirits, a growing suspicion of witchcraft overwhelms the Salem community.
The girls’ leader, Abigail Williams (Jessica Knotts), takes to manipulation when her group is questioned of witchcraft. In response to the public’s hysteria, she claims that many women in the town appeared to her alongside the devil. Through this, Abigail aims to defend her name at any cost, consequently putting blame on innocent women.
A previous romance with John Proctor (Eric Orum) serves as the motive for Abigail’s actions, hiding the fact that she had danced in the woods in an attempt to get rid of John’s wife, Elizabeth (Heather Karsevar).
As the girls throw around accusations in court, John holds a pivotal position, knowing the truth behind Abigail’s ever-increasing lies. However, in order to prove Abigail’s guilt, he must relinquish his reputation by revealing his affair — for which he would be put to death.
The characters are constantly surrounded by hysteria, anxiety and manipulation, but only a few remain upright under the pressure. While reverends and judges push the girls and those accused to admit that they had worked with the devil, innocent lives are put at stake.
With such an engaging plot, the Good Company Players had a firm foundation for their production. While many of the thought-provoking themes were apparent, some important aspects were left below the surface. I would have liked to see a more prevalent tension between Abigail and Proctor, for example, as their scenes together were a bit rushed.
Since many characters were present onstage for long periods of time, their faces often appeared bored. In a dialogue-driven show, actors are required to maintain a compelling presence, even if they are standing off to the side with no lines. In this case, however, some looked zoned out or hardly swayed by major plot developments.
For a while, I could not quite put my finger on what was holding back a superb performance. The actors, for the most part, had their lines down, said them with meaning and character and brought the story to life. I finally came to the conclusion that each actor played a solid role but lacked a deep connection to the character portrayal. Had they taken a deeper perspective on their role, each actor would have put forth a more convincing performance.
However, I attribute this absence of energy and enthusiasm to early-show jitters. Since this was only their third live performance of The Crucible, I have faith that the Good Company Players will further develop their characters and overcome any complications. They already have showed promising performances, so their experience will only benefit them from here on out.
Despite the lack of character connection, many aspects of the show were impressive. Actors took hold of intense scenes and used great energy to captivate the audience. Throughout the show, it was clear that director S. Eric Day put careful thought into his staging. Characters’ positioning onstage successfully focused my eyes on important details.
Furthermore, I was impressed with many of the performances. Orum’s portrayal of Proctor was full of strength, drawing sympathy from the crowd. As Abigail, Knotts did a wonderful job of conveying a character driven by envy and manipulation.
By reading the book and seeing the movie, The Crucible‘s thought-provoking themes stood out the most to me. I appreciated that the Good Company Players put on a show that genuinely left me with the same feelings of sympathy and contemplation as the other representations had.
With all of the positive features in The Crucible, the Good Company Players produced a show to be proud of. Their cons were not significant enough to outweigh the pros, and I am confident that the play will only improve.
Tickets cost $15 for students and $16 for adults and are available at the 2nd Space Theatre, located at 928 E. Olive Ave. For more information, contact them at 559.266.0660 or 1.800.371.4747. The box office is open Tues. ? Sun., beginning at 10 a.m.
The Good Company Players next will perform Born Yesterday, April 23-June 12. Tickets are on sale now.
For more play reviews, read the Feb. 18 article, ‘Legally Blonde’ musical retells comedic story.