The Crucible Critique Essay

The Crucible Critique The Crucible by Arthur Miller has been considered a modern classic for some time now. Millions of theaters have performed the show, and it has now become a staple in educational theater. The Playmakers Repertory Company decided to take on The Crucible for this year 's season, and director Desdemona Chiang took the modern classic and reinvented it to be something fresh and interesting. The Crucible was originally written in 1953, and its plot surrounding the events of the Salem Witch Trials was used to draw parallel to the Red Scare that was occurring in America during that time. The story follows the town of Salem, as a group of young girls cries witchcraft in the town. Chaos ensues when accusations fly and people

I have never once been to a show where a change in lighting made me gasp in surprise; but at the beginning of Act Three, when the lights changed from a soft warm light to a harsh fluorescent truly blew me away. It sets the tone for the entire second half of the play, and I thought the way they went about utilizing the lighting was truly brilliant. I also found the dripping water in the Proctor’s home to be very impressive. It made the entire universe that much more realistic. As I watched the real drops of water drip from the ceiling and into the bucket, I was mesmerized and 100% engaged in the story that was happening. I have seen lots of great productions, with tons of brilliant actors, but I find that the little things, like special effects, and lighting is really what impress me when I go to see a show. The technical aspects of theater are truly what made a fine production great, and I like to pay complement where complement is

Integrity is the way you perceive yourself, and making the tough decision to decide whether to protect their integrity or their reputation is very telling of a person’s character. Many choose their reputation, such as Abigail and Parris; but John Proctor and Rebecca Nurse choose their integrity. As an audience member, you feel morally obligated to side with John and Rebecca, which tells a lot about society’s opinions on what traits are important to us. If I were to give this show a rating, it would be a seven. I feel this way because I thoroughly enjoyed the vision and the actors, as well as the scene design and the lighting design; but I also felt their vision of it taking place in modern times wasn’t 100% clear to me. When they explained the idea in the talk back, I loved the concept, but I do not think I would have made the same conclusion on my own. I also feel like a seven is a good rating because while I thoroughly enjoyed it, it didn’t personally make an impact on me like other productions have. I really enjoyed the show, but I was not blown away. The Crucible, whether re-imagined or staged traditionally, will never blow me away because I have seen so many different productions of it. While I think the company of actors were spectacular and captivating, I wish I could see another Playmakers show that I am not so familiar