Overview
Synopsis
In the insular, Puritan community of 1692 Salem, Massachusetts, a group of young girls are found dancing in the woods, and immediately fall ill. When no earthly cause can be determined, the citizens of Salem suspect that some more sinister force may be at hand. As long-held grudges turn to violent disputes, humiliating secrets are exposed and disseminated, and the line between truth and pretense becomes increasingly blurry, the citizens’ dogged determination to root out evil becomes more dangerous than the evil itself. When the burden of proof is invisible and the crime too terrible to name, everyone becomes a suspect and no one is safe. The Crucible, Arthur Miller’s remarkable 1953 play, remains as relevant as ever, and carries with it a stern warning: in every community torn by suspicion, the most dangerous threat may be the community itself.
Show Information
- Book
- Arthur Miller
- Category
- Play
- Age Guidance
- Youth (Y)/General Audiences (G)
- Number of Acts
- 4
- First Produced
- 1953
- Genres
- Drama, Historical/Biographical
- Settings
- Period, Multiple Settings
- Time & Place
- salem, massachusetts, 1692
- Cast Size
- large
- Orchestra Size
- None
- Dancing
- None
- Licensor
- Dramatists Play Service
- Ideal For
- College/University, Community Theatre, Ensemble Cast, High School, Large Cast, Professional Theatre, Regional Theatre, Star Vehicle Male, Star Vehicle Female, Includes Adult, Mature Adult, Late Teen, Young Adult, Elderly, Child, Early Teen Characters
Context
The Salem Witch Trials took place between the years 1692 and 1693 in a number of small towns in Massachusetts: Salem Village (now Danvers), Salem Town, Ipswich, and Andover. The trials resulted in the executions of twenty people, most of whom were women. The trials were predicated on the Puritan notion that the supernatural was a part of everyday life. Witchcraft trials had taken place in various villages across the colonies prior to the Salem Witch Trials, though only twelve individuals were
to read the context for The Crucible and to unlock other amazing theatre resources!Plot
Act One
On his knees, in the bedroom of his home in Salem, Reverend Parris prays over his ten-year-old daughter, Betty, who lies asleep. His niece, seventeen-year-old Abigail Williams, enters the room to tell him that Susanna Walcott, another young girl, has arrived with news from the doctor. Susanna informs Parris that Doctor Griggs cannot find a diagnosis for Betty’s illness in any of his books, and that he should, perhaps, look to “unnatural causes.”
Parris orders Susanna out, and
to read the plot for The Crucible and to unlock other amazing theatre resources!Characters
| Name | Part Size | Gender | Vocal Part |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Lead |
Female |
Spoken |
|
|
Lead |
Female |
Spoken |
|
|
Lead |
Male |
Spoken |
|
|
Supporting |
Male |
Spoken |
|
|
Supporting |
Female |
Spoken |
|
|
Supporting |
Male |
Spoken |
|
|
Supporting |
Male |
Spoken |
|
|
Supporting |
Male |
Spoken |
|
|
Featured |
Female |
Spoken |
|
|
Featured |
Male |
Spoken |
|
|
Featured |
Male |
Spoken |
|
|
Featured |
Male |
Spoken |
|
|
Featured |
Female |
Spoken |
|
|
Featured |
Female |
Spoken |
|
|
Featured |
Female |
Spoken |
|
|
Featured |
Male |
Spoken |
|
|
Featured |
Male |
Spoken |
|
|
Featured |
Female |
Spoken |
|
|
Featured |
Female |
Spoken |
|
|
Featured |
Female |
Spoken |
|
|
Featured |
Male |
Silent |
|
|
Ensemble |
Female |
Spoken |
Songs
A song with an asterisk (*) before the title indicates a dance number; a character listed in a song with an asterisk (*) by the character's name indicates that the character exclusively serves as a dancer in this song, which is sung by other characters.
Monologues
Scenes
Key Terms
A character in their teenage years, often portrayed as navigating identity, rebellion, and emotional growth.
Allegory is a storytelling device in which characters, events, and settings represent abstract ideas or moral qualities. In theatre, allegorical plays often deliver social, political, or religious messages beneath their surface narrative.
An allusion is an indirect reference to another work of literature, art, historical event, or cultural figure. Playwrights often use allusions to add deeper meaning or context to a character’s dialogue or a scene.
A political ideology often depicted or explored in 20th-century epic or protest theatre for social critique.
A detailed evaluation or analysis of a performance or production, offering constructive feedback.
A 20th-century government body whose influence on censorship and blacklisting shaped theatre’s political landscape.
A period in the 1950s marked by anti-communist sentiment in the United States, during which many artists and performers were blacklisted. The McCarthy Era had a profound impact on American theatre and its themes of censorship and political freedom.
A member of a Protestant sect that opposed theatre in 17th-century England. Their influence contributed to the temporary closure of theatres during that era.
A religious and cultural movement that led to censorship and the temporary closing of English theatres in the 17th century.
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