Staff Report
Be afraid, be very afraid. Pacific Conservatory Theatre will present Arthur Miller’s “The Crucible” from Feb. 15 to March 4 at the Marian Theatre, 800 S. College Drive, on the college’s Santa Maria campus.
In Miller’s searing masterpiece, an invisible enemy unleashes a dangerous hysteria. As Artistic Director Mark Booher observed, “From time to time, we human beings have periods of moral panic that overtakes us.”
“The Crucible” is a timeless telling of one such period. While focused on literal witch hunts, it is also an allegory for any number of misguided crusades through the ages, including ominous opinions against select groups of people currently.
Under the direction of Roger DeLaurier, the design team includes Scenic Designer Jason Bolen, Costume Designer Eddy L. Barrows, Lighting Designer Tim Thistleton, Sound Designer Andrew Mark Wilhelm, Fight Choreographers Mark Booher and Peter S. Hadres, Voice and Dialect Coach Kitty Balay, and Movement by Katie Fuchs-Wackowski. The stage manager is Ellen Beltramo.
The cast of nearly 30 includes resident actors Don Stewart as Rev. Samuel Parris, Karin Hendricks as Ann Putnam, Erik Stein as Thomas Putnam, Andrew Philpot as John Proctor, Peter S. Hadres as Giles Corey, George Walker as Rev. John Hale, Polly Firestone Walker as Elizabeth Proctor, Brad Carroll as Francis Nurse, Leo Cortez as Ezekiel Cheever, Mark Booher as Deputy-Governor Danforth, Katie Fuchs-Wackowski as Sarah Good, and guest artist Rosh Wright as Rebecca Nurse. Second-year acting student Skye Privat plays Abigail Williams.
Tickets cost $34.50 – $46.50 with discounts for seniors, students, children and military members, and for preview performances Feb. 15 and 16. A “Pay What You Can” performance is scheduled for Sunday, Feb. 18.
For more information, visit www.pcpa.org or Facebook.com/pacificconservatorytheatre.
