By Madison Fernway
@fernulaa
Feminism and witchcraft seem to be closely intertwined in pop culture, and it’s as true now as it was in ‘53.
Arthur Miller’s The Crucible, an allegory for McCarthyism written in 1953, is a daunting, yet rewarding piece of theatre for students and thespians alike. Jessica Anne Nelson, UBC MFA Directing student, and director of The Crucible tackles Miller’s text with tactful, fresh outlook on gender roles and oppression that strike chords of relevance with contemporary audiences.
Miller’s The Crucible is a dramatized and partially fictionalized recounting of the Salem Witch Trials that took place in the Massachusetts Bay Colony in 1692 and ’93. Spurred by ten young girls of the colony being caught dancing in the forest, the townspeople become convinced that the devil is among them, preying on the vulnerable. Brimming with intolerance and hysteria, the reputations of these seemingly “good” people are put on the line when legal proceedings take place within the colony condemning those who practice witchcraft.
Nelson’s take on the play explores the knowledge of binary modes of behaviour, good and evil, and how it afflicts everyone based on their experiences and societal norms. What is compelling about her choices as a director is an emphasis on the young girls in this play reasserting their power over the male counterparts who have misused and abused them.
For viewers, this harkens to female-led movements in the Trump-era, where the oppressed have become outspoken in their opposition to their powerful counterparts and eliciting change in their pursuits.
The set design, created by MFA candidate Kimira Bhikum, is the highlight of this production. Bhikum creates a thoughtfully straightforward, yet immensely powerful set that not only complements but elevates the detrimental impact of the puritanical society on the characters.
Over the course of the play, the roof beams slowly crumble into the playing space like puppeteer hands, which not only breaches the confines of the ‘inside’ and ‘outside’ spaces, but mirrors Salem’s chaotic descent into the turmoil imposed by the Court.
In many scenes, the performance played as a comedy when it was not warranted, and this brought a screeching halt to the building tension and weight needed for the important plot points to land. Aidan Wright’s indignant John Proctor and Frank Zotter’s staccato-delivery of Danforth left cravings for nuance and level headedness rather than extreme emotions. Nevertheless, high-quality performances from Sophia Paskalidis as Tituba, Natalie Backerman as Rebecca Nurse, Olivia Lang as Mary Warren, and Shona Struthers as Elizabeth Proctor offered invigorating and resilient females to take centre stage in Nelson’s interpretation.
Theatre at UBC’s The Crucible by Arthur Miller runs from March 15 – 31 at the Frederic Wood Theatre. Get tickets here.
Madison Fernway is a part-time professional soap seller, freelance writer, English Literature and Theatre Studies student, and full-time nervous wreck. She admires oddities, loves naps, and is constantly in search of the world’s best sweet pickle.
