*ABOUT THE PLAY*

I have been a great fan of both Arthur Miller and The Crucible since I first read the play many years ago. After SCCT entrusted me with this marvelous work, my obsession was rekindled, and I began my search for the truth. The first task: Differentiate between fact and fiction. Fact:The Salem Witch Trials of 1692 actually happened and many were hanged. Fiction: Exercising artistic license, Arthur Miller changed some facts. He changed the age of Abigail Williams from 11 to 18 and lowers the age of John Proctor from 60 and changed Proctor’s occupation. Miller made the role of Danforth more prominent. My search began in earnest: buy books, search online, walk the meadows of Salem Village, and listen to the voices on Gallows Hill. The more I discovered, the more tantalizing the script became.

The Challenge: More than telling a fascinating story, we should educate others that The Crucible is relevant today. The Crucible is a powerful and timeless reminder of how intolerance and hysteria can feed each other and destroy an individual or an entire community. And in John Proctor, Miller created a tragic hero for anytime-a flawed figure who finds his moral center as his world crumbles around him. Arthur Miller’s play shows us a world which is all too familiar today.

Can we change the world with only six performances? It would be naive to believe so! However, it is my hope that our production will motivate you to acknowledge modern day “Witch Hunts”, and inspire you to look for injustice in our own world. We have the capacity–both individually and collectively–to be agents of social change to prevent atrocious acts from happening again.

MARILYN KNOFFSINGER DIRECTOR