Theater Review: The Crucible

SARASOTA – The Crucible, Arthur Miller's 1953 classic about the Salem witch trials written in response to McCarthyism, made a timely return to the stage of the Mertz Theatre last Friday, where it debuted before a packed house.

Miller is arguably the greatest American playwright and this is one of his finest works, but what struck me most about the Asolo Rep's production was how a play, written 56 years ago using events from the 17th century as metaphor, could not seem more relevant today.

The story focuses on a young group of girls who are caught in the decidedly non-Puritan act of dancing in the moonlight. When one falls ill, a colony consumed by fear of Satanic influence naturally suspect that some or all of the girls are "in league with Satan." What follows is an all too familiar escalation of accusations, confessions and condemnations of those caught up in the frenzy.

Some find power in their ability to effect by accusation, some see that there is an opportunity to profit by way of sending adversaries to the gallows. Others are so mesmerized that they come to believe those close to them or even they themselves have been afflicted. The hysteria is palpable.

While The Crucible is a masterpiece, it is no small effort to produce and Asolo brings an all-star cast of familiar talent to the stage, under the direction of producing artistic director Michael Donald Edwards. Asolo icons like David Breitbarth (Reverend Samuel Parris) Matt DeCaro (Deputy-Governor Danforth) and Peggy Roeder (Rebecca Nurse) anchor the large cast, but it is newcomer Coburn Goss, a farmer whose transgression sets much of the story in motion, that commands the most attention anytime he's on stage.

Goss, who has done considerable television work along with roles in the superhero movies Man of Steel and Batman vs. Superman, has a larger than life stage presence and fully develops his character, John Proctor, with all the goods needed to be the story's conscience. Fellow Hollywood TV and movie veteran Bruce A. Young (The Sentinel, Risky Business, Basic Instinct) gets nearly all of the play's laughs as the ne'er do well Giles Corey.

Asolo newcomer Amanada Fallon Smith gives a powerful performance as Abigail Williams, the sinister seductress who leads the girls astray. Chicago-based Laura Rook gives a solid turn as John Proctor's wife, Elizabeth, while third-year FSU/Asolo Conservatory student Sara Linares is quite good as Mary Warren, one of the young girls who is caught up in the stir.

Thanks to a stellar cast and the expert direction of Edwards, this classic work of American theater is given a very worthy treatment that is sure to please fans of the stage. The Crucible runs through March 10. Visit the Asolo website for more information.