Imaginations run wild and accusations fly as a group of young women are caught doing suspicious things at midnight by the local preacher in Sock ‘n’ Buskin’s recent production of The Crucible, directed by Jake Pitre and Keith Hickey.
This version of Arthur Miller’s Salem witch trials courtroom drama was modernized by a decision to go goth: The staging included fog and strobe lights, new wave-inspired electronic music played in between acts, and the makeup and costumes were all goth themed.
The new direction succeeded in changing the way the play worked and made it feel modern and relevant.
A significant amount of the success of the play relied on the strength of the actors. With the exception of the occasional hiccup, everyone knew their lines very well—not an easy task in a script that is so dense—and kept the mood and tone consistent throughout.
Two of the standout performances of the night were Lauren Stiers as Mary Warren, the often hysterical but well-intentioned member of the young women’s clique, and Ethan Pitcher as Samuel Parris, the harsh preacher who is desperately trying to maintain his social standing in the community. Both showed an incredible dedication to their characters through body language without taking the attention away from others. That being said, all of the performances were very well done and fit together snugly.
Another strength of the performance was its more practical elements. The set was phenomenal, especially during the courtroom scene, and served to elevate the drama and clearly represent the vast power differences in the room.
The costumes and makeup, done by Krista Mihevc, were also well executed, with the aging makeup looking believable. The unified but varying costumes highlighted the goth aspect of the production more than anything else.
Despite the fact that it wasn’t always seamless tonally, the use of electronic music was interesting and effective. It was these parts of the production that reinforced the themes and the newfound “gothiness” so well, and showed the creativity of the people working behind the scenes.
The only major criticism I have for this play is the pacing. While the movie is just over two hours, the performance was about three hours long—not including the intermission—and felt like it dragged on, especially in the second act. Frankly put, some moments of high intensity felt like they were less impactful than they could have been, simply because the road to get there had been so long. Luckily, this did not undermine the whole performance, but it makes me wonder how great it would have been if things were a little more snappy.
Overall, Sock ‘n’ Buskin’s modernized retelling of The Crucible was well put together and performed. It’s definitely worth seeing this play, both to witness and support the local talent, and to either see this classic for the first time or in a whole new way.
The Crucible is running from Jan. 28-30 in Kailash Mital Theatre.
