During the spring of 1692 in the British colony of Salem, Massachusetts, a genuine fear of witchcraft spread through the small village. Spurred on by a group of young girls who claimed to have been possessed through witchcraft, a special court was convened to root out the “evil” in the community. By the fall of that year, around 150 men, women, and children were convicted of being witches and twenty people lost their lives at the hand of the court.
Between the years of 1950 and 1954, Senator Joseph McCarthy spearheaded a series of investigations and trials with the express purpose of rooting out communism in America. Using fear as a tool, McCarthy and the House Committee on Un-American Activities blacklisted over 2,000 government employees, artists, and business people. It wasn’t until 1954 when McCarthy turned his lens to the Armed Forces that public opinion swung against his investigations and he lost his power. Although McCarthy lost his power, the investigations continued.
In response to McCarthy’s tactics and the blacklisting of Americans, playwright Arthur Miller wrote The Crucible. Published in 1953, Miller used the Salem witch trials as a backdrop to criticize the clouding of facts by irrational fears and the desire to place blame for society’s problems on others.
In an eerie echo of what happens to John Proctor, Miller himself was brought before the House Committee on Un-American Activities in 1956, where he defied the committee and refused to name suspected communists. He was convicted of contempt of the court, a charge which would later be overturned by the Supreme Court.
Miller’s play The Crucible won the Tony Award for best play and is widely considered to be one of the highlights of modern American theatrical literature. It has been performed worldwide and in many different languages.
Good art challenges us to reflect a bit deeper on our own world, and this play continues to be a cautionary tale about the dangers of the herd-mentality and communal self-preservation. We hope this show sparks some great conversations, and that you enjoy our performance!
Joe Flowers
