'The Crucible' Brings Tale of Salem Witch Trials To Woodstock

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Arthur Miller’s “The Crucible” is coming to Woodstock’s Elm Street Cultural Arts Village.

The production will hit the stage at 7 p.m. Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays and 2 p.m. Sunday Sept. 17-26.

This classic, timeless American play centers on the Salem Witch Trials that took place in the Massachusetts Bay colony between 1692 and 1693, an era marked with strict Puritanical rules and literal Biblical interpretation.

When a group of girls are discovered dancing in the woods and then immediately fall ill, fear and suspicion begin to percolate in the small, isolated community that something larger, more fearsome and other worldly may be to blame.

Buried secrets and resentments are brought to light, and attempts to root out evil lead to finger-pointing, treachery and betrayal. When everyone is a suspect, sometimes the most dangerous threat to the community may be the community itself.

Director Erik Tonner confesses to being “obsessed” with Arthur Miller, the dean of American playwrights. When Tonner was invited to direct a show at Elm Street and saw ”The Crucible” on the schedule, he immediately jumped at the chance to direct it.

Miller wrote “The Crucible” in 1953, which paralleled the hunt for Communists and their sympathizers conducted by the House on Un-American Activities Committee during the 1950s.

“Often times this show is watered down to witch hunts and historical, but the root of this show is about quick judgments and betrayal -- perhaps more relevant today than ever,” Tonner added.

Tickets are $12 in advance and $15 at the door. To purchase tickets, visit http://www.elmstreetarts.org/crucible/ or call 678-494-4251.

This show is considered PG-13.

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Photo 1: (Left to Right) Jessica Leigh Smith, Brandon Wilkinson, and Bennet Welch return to the stage to take the lead in this eerie play. Last seen as Igor in Young Frankenstein, Brandon makes the opposite impression as he portrays John Proctor.
Photo 2: Running a scene from The Crucible, Brandon and Bennet create and intense moment for audience to enthrall.
Credits: JAM Session Photography