The Crucible, The Drama Barn
Ever since the unprecedented amount of interest at Dramasoc’s auditions for this revival of Arthur Miller’s increasingly relevant The Crucible, it was clear that Sophie Larsmon’s production would be highly anticipated, and duly sold out within hours. The Drama Barn was transformed into a Puritan building with a brown and white paint job, providing an atmospheric setting for Miller’s tale of the Salem witch trials. Larsmon’s inspired decision to stage the play in traverse allowed for an ideal setting for the courtroom scene, whose intimacy meant that the audience themselves became jurors.
The play opened in style, with a dramatic scene of dance and drums in the woods. Credit is due to Rina Nalumoso as Tituba, whose singing and hysterical exchange with Hale (Matt Spingett) added a mystical and exotic dynamic to the play. Other exceptional performances included Dominic Allen (Paris) as well as Spingett . Things picked up pace in the courtroom scene where a real sense of tension was created through the rapid exchanges during interrogations.
It was the tender scenes between John and Elizabeth Proctor (Marcus Emerton and Katie Kelly, respectively) which were the most poignant of the play. In the final scene, Emerton brilliantly captured Proctor’s own conflict between his huge sense of guilt at his affair and his desire to live,and was complemented by Katie Kelly’s gentle and honest performance.
