Everyman Theatre

Geraldine Watson reveals her ideas for her production of The Crucible.  The production will be staged in November 2010.

In 1692, in the small village of Salem (Massachusetts) a number of young women fell victim to hallucinations and seizures.  In extremely religious Puritan New England, frightening or surprising occurrences were often attributed to the devil and spurred fears of witchcraft. The girls, and then many other residents of Salem, began to accuse other villagers of consorting with evil and casting spells.

Old grudges and jealousies spilled out into the open, fueling the atmosphere of hysteria. The judicial system, heavily influenced by fanatical religion, rolled into action. Within weeks, dozens of people were in jail and by the time the fever subsided, nineteen people had been convicted and hanged for witchcraft.

The Crucible, a 1953 play by Arthur Miller is the dramatization of those ‘Salem witchcraft trials’.   It is a strong, powerful play, an actors’ play; each character plays a major role with wonderful scope for the individual actor and for the company to open the Autumn season. 

For further information, please visit the 'productions' section:  http://www.everymantheatre.co.uk/index.php/productions/the-crucible