The Crucible: Riveting drama takes to the stage this February

PUBLISHED January 21st, 2013 12:56 am | UPDATED January 21st, 2016 08:05 am

This February 2013, there’s a chance to see ‘The Crucible’, one of the masterpieces of 20^th century literature, written by Arthur Miller, who is considered one of the greatest playwrights of the 20^th century.  Miller, who passed away in 2005, was also renowned for plays like ‘The Death of A Salesman’ and ‘All My Sons’ (as well as his brief role as Marilyn Monroe’s husband from 1956 – 1961!)

The Crucible is a riveting drama of individual conscience set against a community consumed by hysteria, as the actions of a group of young girls fuel a lethal climate of fear, paranoia and intolerance. At its heart lies one man’s fight to retain his identity.

The Crucible was inspired by the McCarthy hearings of the 1950s, when America was submerged in fear and paranoia about Communism and people were telling on friends so they would not be labeled as ‘communists’. Miller sets his play in Salem, Massachusetts in 1692, a period when the Salem witch trials were taking place in an atmosphere of finger-pointing, resulting in mass hysteria, deep distrust and fear at being labeled a ‘witch’.

Sound familiar?  The Salem of 1692 may seem a million years away from 2013 but just think back over the news events here and abroad over the last 12 months or so – the intrigue caused by confessions of extra-marital affairs, the Levenson enquiry in Britain, the Arab Spring and you will see that human behaviour does not change.

And who better to showcase this challenging play than Toy Factory? After all, Toy Factory has been on the local theatre scene as one of the leading bi-lingual theatre companies for 20 years!  The company, under Artistic Director, Goh Boon Teck, has presented productions as varied as Tituodao, Cabaret, The Crab Flower Club, Equus and Purple.

City Nomads caught up with the Director of The Crucible, Rayann Condy to get the low-down on the upcoming production.

Toy Factory has gained a reputation over the past few years for its bold, no-holds barred productions like Equus and Purple.  Why was The Crucible chosen as your opening production of 2013?  Is the time ripe for a retelling of this tale?

There is an urgency to stage The Crucible because in this digital age, it is harder to differentiate between rumours, truths and lies. We want our audiences to question what they see and hear from the start of year 2013.

Can we really activate our inner strength to standby truth and beliefs?  Are we still strong or can we be stronger? We want to discuss these in our contemporary theatre. We are very proud to stage a world classic this meaningful in our opening season. We hope it can strengthen the minds.

There have been countless productions of Arthur Miller¹s masterpiece in theatres worldwide as well as a Hollywood film.  What will be Toy Factory¹s unique ‘twist’?

I don’t think this play needs a twist. I actually played around with some rather radical adaptation ideas in the pre-production phase and what I eventually decided was that it’s very hard to make this script better and if what you are doing is not achieving that then why bother right?

A really good script doesn’t need any gimmicks; it just needs to be shared.  So inevitably this production will be unique due to where and whom we are, but I am shying away from trying to twist it in any major way.  Having said that, all our design elements are rather atypical for this show, don’t expect any mop caps in this show!

Given that this play was written 50 years ago and was seen as an allegory of the McCarthy communist witch hunts of the 1950’s, and is set in a society where church and state are one, what are the elements in this play that a 2013 audience can relate to?

This play still resonates today as it touches on some dark truths of human nature that sadly have not changed much since Salem and McCarthyism.  Look at the recent issues with mega churches or popular opinions on PRC’s frequently expressed in social media. It is still easier to point fingers outward than question inward.  What’s more at its heart it’s a story about people and their choices and the follow on effects of our agency – these are truly timeless issues.  I hope it will encourage people to consider the power of their word, in an era of text messaging, emails and Facebook where we toss out opinions before they have been given any consideration.

It is often said that of all Arthur Miller’s classic dramas, The Crucible is his most difficult play to convincingly produce and direct. What do you think are the challenges facing you, as Director?

I hadn’t heard that before, so now I’m freaking out- thanks! Just kidding!!!  For me the main worry is the crying out from the girls, I think this section could easily veer into bad comedy if not attacked with 100% conviction by an amazing actor. It’s not easy to point at the ceiling and cry “there’s a yellow bird!” luckily I have the amazing Jean Toh as Abigail and she is supported by a host of young acting talents, so that has taken away a lot of my worry.

My other stress would be the length. It is a long play, too long to keep an audience engaged.  But again, my cast has allayed this fear. They are awesome.

Is Toy Factory setting the play in the Salem, Mass of 1692?  Or are you recreating it in a different time and location?

I have tried to pull Salem out of 1692 and slide it up through the years to a space somewhat closer to today but not quite today.  I think this play needs some space between itself and its audience to allow reflection and thought.  Miller wrote it to work in this way and I want to respect that.

Many Singaporeans will recall The Crucible as an English Literature text that they struggled with in order to pass exams!  What’s going to attract a Singaporean audience to The Crucible?

I have found a lot of people seem to really love the play for that very reason, which is exciting as it means some wonderful teacher sparked a love of theatre in them. The Crucible is a really engaging play it should have you sitting tensely on the edge of your seat and wanting to yell out at the characters.  It’s a great drama that first and foremost takes the audience on a real ride. It’s not just about education and provocation, theatre is entertainment too and this play is no exception. Besides, it is much easier to watch The Crucible than to read it.

Any comments about the cast you have assembled for this production? What are the challenges they face?

I have an amazing cast and watching them work together excites me every day. I have teachers from LaSalle, NAFA, and various Polys as well as graduates from drama schools, veteran local actors and young apprentice actors who are still in school. Each is unique and brings a special set of skills to the table.  They are a great ensemble cast and have been very supportive and respectful of one another, despite huge gaps in experience. They are also a very unique bunch; no two are alike in looks or type, so the differentiation of characters is really striking.

So, all you lovers of great theatre – this is a production you should not miss!

The Crucible is running from 7 – 23 February 2013 at the Drama Centre Theatre. Tickets are $62, $52 & $42 plus there’s a 10% discount for Nomad readers if you quote the code 1707 when booking on the phone or at SISTIC counters. Call the SISTIC ticket hotline on +65 6348 5555 or find your nearest counter here.