This is the second time I’ve been involved in the production of Arthur Miller’s spell binding show, “The Crucible.”  Some thirty years ago I was an assistant to the director.  At that time I was on my second stint in college, had pretty much raised three children and was then pursuing my love of the theatre.  I returned to hone my skills so I could be a better teacher of drama.

The past couple months have been an amazing revisiting of this classic tale of mass hysteria, destruction of reputations, temptation, sin, and standing up for your beliefs.  This time, however, the cast consisted of a much younger crowd.  Teens from grades 6-12 played these difficult, heavy, intense characters.  The director educated them on the time period and the people involved in the Salem Witch Trials of the late 1600s.  They would be portraying real historical characters of the time.  It was a much different time than today.  These early settlers of a new land had come here to worship the way they deemed right. They were enveloped in property disputes and naturally there were other arguments among them as well.  The depth of the story was a challenge for each of them.

Not only were they required to learn vast amounts of lines, but develop complex characters which would leave a lasting impression on the audience.  The beauty of being involved in theatre at such a young age, is that the process makes them great problem solvers.  It allows them to be part of a team effort and grow life long friendships.  It gives them self confidence as they try new things and succeed.  The things we learn in our early years will often shape the future for us.

And so we say goodbye to “The Crucible.”   It’s always leaves a sadness when you put a show to bed, but these young people can take pride in what they accomplished with this challenging performance. They deserve the applause, because they fulfilled their commitment and dedication to the project.  So now, the stage manager will catch up on her sleep and look forward to working with many of these same amazing people again soon.

GREAT JOB TO THE CAST AND TECH CREW FOR THEIR AMAZING WORK!