The Salem witch trials, treachery, deceit, religion, emotion, guilt and death are some of the notable components found in the stage play The Crucible by Arthur Miller, written in 1953.
The Long Beach City College Performing Arts Department will be performing their rendition of the play, which is scheduled to premiere on March 14 at 7:30 p.m. at LAC.
The play will be directed by Amanda Zarr.
Zarr is not employed by LBCC, but was originally an adjudicator, which is a performing arts professional who gives educational feedback on performances.
Tickets are $12 for students, seniors, staff and $17 for general admissions. but if guests wish purchase tickets in advance, they will save $2.
Advance tickets are currently on sale.
The Crucibles stage play covers the lives of fictional characters, who in one way or another get involved in a witchcraft scandal, after a group of Puritan girls are caught dancing in the forest with a slave.
Miller wrote the play about the Salem witch trials and intended it to be a mirror representation of McCarthyism, which was a movement that falsely accused American citizens of belonging to the Communist Party, which resulted in many of the accused being convicted of treason, losing their jobs and being blacklisted, in the 1950’s.
“It’s heavy. If you did one foul thing in this time period, you could be called out and put to the gallows,” said Josh Bauser, who will play Giles Corey in the upcoming performance.
Zarr believes that a lot of the key elements of this play can also be applied to today’s social issues.
“One of the main things I want to focus on is rope and how it can represent the bondage of women from the past and even in the present,” Zarr said.
Zarr stated that she also found it important to make the lead actor a person of color, as she feels will bring a different meaning and point of view to the script.
When the cast was about half way through rehearsing, many students had to quit the play, leaving the remaining members involved with the ensemble to take on extra responsibilities.
“It’s a very emotional play that will have the audience hanging on to every word, it is important that everything I do on stage counts,” said Josh Riker, who plays the character Francis Nurse.
The final performance will be on March 24 at 2 p.m.