Scottdale theater group tackles Arthur Miller's 'The Crucible'

Shirley McMarlin
Monday, May 13, 2019 10:18 a.m. | Monday, May 13, 2019 10:18 a.m.

Submitted

From left: Rehearsing a scene from Arthur Miller’s “The Crucible,” running May 16-19 in Scottdale’s Geyer Performing Arts Center, are Justin Williams (Rev. Hale), John Paul Ritchey (Dep. Gov. Danforth), Will Herrington (John Proctor) and William S. White (Giles Corey).

Submitted

From left: Dep. Gov. Danforth (John Paul Ritchey of Greensburg) questions accused witches Abigail Williams (Caitlin Cherry of Whitaker) and Elizabeth and John Proctor (Emily Hamilla of Uniontown and Will Herrington of Connellsville) in a scene from Arthur Miller’s “The Crucible,” running May 16-19 in Scottdale’s Geyer Performing Arts Center

Arthur Miller’s Tony Award-winning drama, “The Crucible,” will be staged at 7:30 p.m. May 16-18 and 2:30 p.m. May 19 in the Geyer Performing Arts Center in Scottdale.

“The Crucible,” Miller’s most popular and frequently-produced work, retells the story of the Salem (Mass.) witch trials of 1692-93. It was written as an allegory for U.S. government investigations of the 1950s, led by Sen. Joseph McCarthy, in which hundreds of American citizens were accused of being Communists or Communist sympathizers.

“In their time of severe trial, the people of Salem allow personal hostilities and political differences to overwhelm both civility and basic human decency, resulting in loss of life,” according to the Geyer.

Leigh Anne Jerz is directing a cast that includes Will Herrington (John Proctor), Emily Hamilla (Elizabeth Proctor), Rachel Carey and Caitlyn Cherry (Abigail Williams), John Paul Ritchey (Deputy Gov. Thomas Danforth), William S. White (Giles Corey), Craig Soich (Rev. Parris), Monika Kramer (Tituba) and several teen actors.

“This is the perfect time to come see why ‘The Crucible’ became a classic — why it’s had three Broadway productions and multiple film, TV and even opera adaptations over the years,” Jerz says. “It’s a classic because it presents some of the toughest questions a human being can face, such as: Is it more important to speak the truth, whatever the cost, or to save a human life? The audience will see ordinary people like themselves, people with both strengths and flaws, faced with an extraordinary situation.

“Many people know that Miller wrote the play in frustration over the McCarthy anti-Communist hearings of the 1950s, but the play is just as relevant to America today,” Jerz says. “The call to treat others with basic human decency and respect is always timely, whether you live in a small town where everyone knows everyone’s ‘business,’ or whether you think on a national scale about our democracy.”

Tickets are $12.

Details: 724-887-0887 or geyerpac.com