Review by Joe Siegel

“The Crucible,” which opened October 9 at the Granite Theatre, is a drama which expertly depicts human weakness.

Playwright Arthur Miller’s chronicle of the Salem witch trials shows the cost of casting suspicions onto people. Miller was inspired by the communist witch-hunts of the 1950s, when attention-seeking politicians such as Senator Joe McCarthy went on a moral crusade and destroyed several lives in the process. The choice was a simple one: admit to being a communist or a communist sympathizer, and you may get to live. But how could you admit to something you did not do?

In 1692, Sam Parris (Russ Ekstrom), a minister, discovers a group of girls frolicking in the woods in the dead of night. He suspects they were engaging in witchcraft. When his daughter Betty (Kendyll Gaccione) becomes very ill, Parris believes the witches are to blame.

Meanwhile, young Abigail Williams (Carly Mastriano) is rejected by John Proctor (Stephen Clarke). Abigail worked for Proctor as his servant and they had a love affair. Abigail seeks revenge by accusing Elizabeth, John’s wife, of witchcraft.

A hysteria spreads throughout the town. Several women, including Rebecca Nurse (Moe R. Noel) are arrested and put on trial. Many are hanged for being witches.

John loves Elizabeth and is determined to save her by confessing his sins. But will it be enough to persuade the judge?

Under the direction of Marla Ladd, the ensemble delivers passionate and believable performances.

Proctor is a fundamentally decent man led astray by lust. He is put in the unenviable position of fighting to save Elizabeth’s life, and later, his own. Clarke is powerfully convincing as Proctor attempts to convince the men in the village that Elizabeth is an innocent woman.

Tara Golson is tremendously sympathetic as Elizabeth, dutiful and loyal, who is deeply hurt by Proctor’s infidelity. Despite this, Elizabeth still believes John is fundamentally decent at his core and refuses to turn against him. Her nobility threatens to lead to her destruction.

Another terrific performance is by Kelly Rae LeGault, who plays Mary Warren, a teenage girl put on trial. Mary is ruthlessly tormented by her inquisitors. In a chilling scene, Abigail and her friends work to convince the court that Mary has taken possession of them. Mary pleads innocence but the men believe what they are seeing is real. It is a painful reminder of how easily people can believe absolute nonsense.

Christie Max Williams is also memorable as Judge Danforth, an authoritarian who is determined to punish anyone engaging with the supernatural. Danforth is a moral crusader and believes he has the right given by God to eliminate all evil influences from Salem.

Pandora Spock’s simple but eerie set design features a series of dead trees set against the night sky. Ali Lucas’ lighting helps to create an unsettling environment for the madness overtaking Salem.

The last 30 minutes of “The Crucible” are unrelenting in their intensity. The characters and by extension, the audience, are put through an emotional meat grinder. Difficult choices are made and the outcomes aren’t necessarily happy ones.

Even though the Salem witch trials occurred centuries ago, the parallels with contemporary society are chilling to contemplate. Look at what ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) is doing every day. Masked men kidnapping people off the street. Shooting people in their cars. Taking young children away in vans, possibly to never be seen again. All in the name of upholding the law.

Ladd chose to open the production with a slideshow of images – protests for women’s rights, LGBTQ rights, civil rights, anti-war rallies, marches for equality and solidarity for labor unions. It has been our history to persecute people for not conforming to religious doctrine. The current presidential administration wants to turn the United States into a theocracy. If we don’t stand up, they might get their wish.

This is an important show for what it tells us about ourselves and how little has changed in four centuries.

The Crucible runs through October 25. The Granite Theatre. 1 Granite St., Westerly, RI. Runtime is 3 hours with intermission. For tickets, call 401-596-2341 or visit granitetheatre.org.

Courtesy of Granite Theatre.