Tech’s Theater department began practice for The Crucible, which is set to open on Oct. 27 at 7:00 p.m. and run until Oct. 29.
“I chose the Crucible because I am a big lover of the Salem witch trials. Not that the Salem witch trials were a good thing, But I am a big lover of the history of it,” Faith Spencer, Director of the Crucible, said with a smile.
The Crucible follows John Proctor, a puritan man trying to absolve his wife and others from a vicious witch hunt, which all started from lies and misunderstandings.
The Crucible is the largest production the theater has tackled in recent history, according to Spencer. The play touts a named cast of 22 people, 7 extras, and approximately three hours of run time.
The cast features many new faces in the Theater department.
“We have so many freshmen in the play. I am excited about them. Overall, we have a larger group of people that we don’t normally have in the theater department,” Spencer said.
The number of people calls for challenges involving memorization of lines and costuming. Despite this, her entire team has gone above and beyond, despite the production being in its early stages.
Spencer also decided to invite high schools to watch the production. Harrison and Clarksville have already accepted her invitation, with several more invitations from other Arkansas schools pending.
“Typically, most high schools have to read it between their junior and senior year. It is important that our people fully portray the show, so the high school students can also learn from it,” Spencer said.
This will be Spencer’s second production she has directed. She also produced a horror play called “The Pillowman,” but the slasher was cut short in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Spencer believes it is essential for students to attend this show because of the symbolism applied to events happening today.
“They had people that were being persecuted for witchcraft. While this isn’t happening anymore, there is always some form of Salem witch trials. Someone is always being hunted. If it isn’t the red scare, it is civil rights. If it isn’t civil rights, it’s women’s rights; the list goes on forever.”
Any student with questions about The Crucible can contact Spencer by emailing her at fspencer2@atu.edu. Any student with questions about the theater department can contact Professor Frances Roberson at froberson@atu.edu.
