Fear, hysteria, death surround witch hunt in 'The Crucible'
The story documents one of the most notorious events to happen in early American history, the hysteria surrounding the Salem witch trials.
Director Tom Mitchell said in Arthur Miller's work, "The Crucible," the story also shows everyone's fears and insecurities. And it highlights the fear when institutions use tactics to intimidate people.
"The story reflects the idea of accusing people around you to save yourself and the immorality and ethics of that," he said. "That is universal to who we are as humans and our individual freedoms."
The College of Lake County will present "The Crucible" at 7:30 p.m. starting today at the Grayslake campus' studio theater.
"The Crucible" was written in 1953 to hold a mirror up to the anti-Communist hysteria of the 1940s and 1950s.
Winner of the Tony Award for best play, this drama is set in the Puritan community of Salem, Mass., in 1692.
Nicole Lanier of Hainesville plays Elizabeth Proctor, wife of John Proctor, and has three children. John has committed adultery with Abigail Williams, and Elizabeth now suspects Abigail is trying to kill her and take her place.
"I am dealing with issues of suspicion, trust, betrayal and not be able to talk to anyone about it because of the time period," Lanier said.
Abigail concocts an idea of witchcraft to try to get rid of Elizabeth.
"As a result, 19 people die by hangings," Mitchell said. "Over 100 people are jailed or impoverished and left with nothing just because of this girl's jealousy and vengeance."
Marc Nicholson of Round Lake Beach plays Deputy Governor Dan Forth, the primary judge responsible for condemning many of the witches to death.
"He serves as the evil that is a society," he said.
On the stage, Mitchell creates a sense of community. One reason for the hysteria was this happened in a tight-knit community where there were jealousies and difficulties.
For example, a young girl accuses an old woman of casting spells on her. But behind a screen you see what actually happened. The young woman taunts and teases the old woman. The old woman in response yells at the girl. That is the reality, Mitchell said.
"It tells the character of the girl. It tells her fiction of what happened simply because the old woman was different," he said.
Lanier said this story shows the weight words can have, even if there are no facts or evidence present.
"Fear can propel people to do bad things," Nicholson said. "We tend to forget facts down the process if it helps justify our fear and coming to terms with that."
If you go
What: "The Crucible" by Arthur Miller
Where: College of Lake County James Lumber Center for the Performing Arts, 19351 W. Washington St., Grayslake
When: 7:30 p.m. today and Saturday; 2 p.m. Sunday; and 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 16 and 17
Tickets: $10 for general public and $8 for CLC students, staff, seniors over age 65 and season subscribers
Details: Buy tickets at the college box office, by calling (847) 543-2300 or online at www.clcillinois.edu/tickets.
Cast list
Sharon Aiello of Barrington as Rebecca Nurse
Erica Angelos of Waukegan as Abigail Williams
Erika Bradbury of Mundelein as Mercy Lewis
Scott Cook of Grayslake as John Proctor
Whitney Darling of Winthrop Harbor as Ann Putnam
Michael Dvorak of Long Grove as Thomas Putnam
Emilia Dvorak of Long Grove as Susanna Wolcott
Brian Dykstra of Grayslake as Ezekiel Cheever
Bobby Engelhard of Antioch as Hopkins
Jean Froese of Gages Lake as Martha Corey
Diane Hoskin of Lindenhurst as Sarah Good
Michael Johnson of Ingleside as Rev. Hale
Renee Johnson of Antioch as Tituba
Jenny Landmann of Wildwood as a townsperson
Nicole Lanier of Grayslake as Elizabeth Proctor
Ashley Little of Round Lake as townsperson
Marc Nicholson of Round Lake Beach as Danforth
Charles Pauley of Ingleside as John Willard
Tiffany Pfingsten of Round Lake Beach as Betty Parris
Kellie Pina of Gurnee as townsperson
Bill Roberts of Libertyville as Giles Corey
David Steiger of Grayslake as Rev. Parris
John Stergiou of Gurnee as Hathorne
Dave Vasicek of Wauconda as Francis Nurse
Heather Zink of Great Lakes as Mary Warren