Fires Within Fires: The "Crucible" Fanlisting

Play Overview

First performed in New York in 1953, The Crucible is Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Arthur Miller's classic drama inspired by the 1692 events in Salem, Massachusetts that led to the infamous Salem Witch Trials. The play explores the roots of the hysteria, the powerful reach of the government, the role of religion in society, the shifting definition of morality in personal and public life, and the fears of "insider outsiders" in communities small and large that have been present in America since before the republic was founded.

Act I sets up the drama by introducing accusations of witchcraft in the community brought forth by some of Salem's wealthiest and most highly-regarded young women. The girls initially accuse Tituba, a local slave, of cursing the them and causing them to suffer from physical afflictions, but eventually expand their accusations to include many of the community's less privileged. Act II delves deeper into the personal relationships of the characters and their lives outside the public view, showing the imperfections of the characters and the flaws of those considered to be on the right side of God and the law. Act III brings the backlash of several people in the community against the trials and accusations, which by now have swept across Salem. Act IV, the final act, shows the destruction caused in the community by the rumors and accusations, and also presents us with men and women trying to salvage their names even if they cannot keep their lives.

Inspiration

The Crucible is inspired by events that took place in the 1690s, but it was written in response to American political and social hysteria in the 1950s, particularly the "Red Scare" that led average Americans to have their lives destroyed by accusations of Communism. The courtroom accusations in The Crucible are allegories for the testimony given before the House Committee on Un-American Activities during the early 1950s, which resulted in nationwide panic over Communism and the private activities, political leanings, and social affiliations of citizens.

Trivia

The Crucible was first performed at Broadway's Martin Beck Theater on January 22, 1953
The play won the 1953 Tony Award for Best Play
Accused of being a Communist, Miller himself appeared before the House Un-American Activities Committee in 1956 but refused to name others who were also believed to be Communists, resulting in him being convicted of contempt by Congress the next year
It was first adapted for film by Jean-Paul Sartre in 1957 and was released as Les Sorcières de Salem
The second film edition, released in 1996 and starring Winona Ryder and Daniel Day-Lewis (Miller's son-in-law), was adapted for film by Miller
Miller's film adaptation earned him an Academy Award-nomination for Best Adapted Screenplay in 1996
The play was also adapted by composer Robert Ward into a Pulitzer Prize-winning opera, which was first performed in 1961
The Crucible is Miller's most frequently produced work throughout the world, even though Death of a Salesman is perhaps better known
When writing, Miller used the language of the King James Bible in order to achieve the specific historical dialect he wanted
Although the play was based on the Salem Witch Trials, only a few historical events are presented factually in the text, which Miller said was his intent