The Devil Made Me Do It

There is a Devil loose in Salem and she is perverting all the citizenry, at least that’s what Abigail Williams would have us believe.
‘The Crucible’, by Arthur Miller, was first performed in 1953 at the Martin Beck Theatre in New York. Mr. Miller wrote this as an allegory for the ‘witch’ hunts happening at the time under the auspices of ‘The House Committee on Un-American Activities’ hearings. Mr. Miller had been questioned by the Committee and had been found in contempt because he refused to ‘name the names’ of people who were suspected Communists. This play was Mr. Miller’s response to that sad period in American history and it has become one of the ‘stand out’ pieces of American Theatre.

‘The Crucible’ has become one of those plays that has a reputation. Most of us have seen good, bad, or indifferent productions; we have been driven to distraction by too much ‘acting’, bad sets and too many words. If the show we saw was good we have high expectations, if it was bad we’re prepared for a long, torturous night. This production will go a long way in restoring your faith; it may not be the best production ever but it is a very good one.

This abridged version is directed by Ms. Tanya Goldberg and designed by Ms. Simone Romaniuk for The Sydney Theatre Company.

This is a production that hits all the right buttons, it’s staged simply and it evokes all the right images from farmhouse to prison, from Hillsong to Abu Ghraib. The Director wisely lets the actors and the words work their magic. The cast for the most part are very good. Some of the performances are standout; special mention must go to Mr. Peter Carroll and Ms. Lynnette Curran, even when she is playing a ‘little’ out of her age range. These actors bring a maturity and sense of solidness that anchor the show. Mr. Joe Manning, as John Proctor, and Ms. Marta Dusseldorp, as his wife Elizabeth, hit their marks from the moment they step on the stage and in the second half their final scene together is electrifying.
The play has lost none of its power or impact, it still serves to remind us that those same fears that were so effectively used by Senator McCarthy are still able to win elections and sway the modern populous, think Bill O’Reilly, or closer to home, Alan Jones. In today’s world the Devil may wear a burkha, or a yarmulke or may be gay or a fundamentalist Christian, but in fact the Devil is anyone who does not believe as we do. The one thing that is certain is just how easily we, the public, can be led into dark places where fear, suspicion and paranoia are king. The message is simple; bad things happen when good men do nothing.

Is it better to live with a lie or die for the truth? The answer to this question gives measure to the character of man.

While the STC have aimed this production squarely at the school’s market, it is well worth a visit by us adults as well.

‘The Crucible’ plays at the STC, Wharf 2, from May 4 until May 30, schools performances day time at 10.30am, evening performances at 7.00pm.