Theatre 2023: The Crucible - National Theatre @ Cineplex

We love watching filmed versions of London’s National Theatre plays because the quality of the productions always seems to impress.  This was certainly the case with Arthur Miller’s iconic 1950’s play “The Crucible” which at face value is about the Salem Witch Trials. But on a deeper level, it is also an allegory that comments on the McCarthy era where instead of witches, the hunt was for Communists.

The Witch Trials occurred between February 1692 through May 1693 in Salem, Massachusetts. This was a strict, cloistered, ultra-pious and superstitious Puritan community who feared the unknown and were suspicious of anyone who did not conform to, and therefore threatened their prescribed way of life. They used the doctrines of religion and blind faith to justify oppression towards anyone that they considered to be “the other”.  Belief in witches was substantiated by quoting from the Old Testament, such as “Exodus 22:18 Thou shalt not suffer a witch to live” or “Leviticus 19:26 “Ye shall not … use enchantment…”.  Mix this in with resentments between neighbours caused by rivalries and conflicts over property lines or other slights and this was a powder keg situation just waiting for a match.  Claiming “witchcraft” became a convenient answer for any inexplicable occurrence or a spiteful way to settle scores and put one over on your enemies.

The spark that led to the first accusation of witchcraft in Salem arose when multiple children around the village had unexplained fits that could not be attributed to any known medical science of the time. Girls including Abigail Williams (age 11) and Betty Parris (age 9) started to shake and contort into weird positions, uttering strange sounds, screaming, and throwing objects. They claimed they were being pinched and pricked by pins.  Without any logical explanation, it was concluded that they had been “possessed by the devil” and the search was on for witches (i.e. scapegoats) who were afflicting the poor children.

Pressured to name their attackers, the children accused three social outcasts--Tituba, an enslaved woman from Barbados who told tales about voodoo and spirits, Sarah Good (an ironic last name for someone accused of dallying with the devil), a lower classed woman of ill temperament who was disliked by her neighbours and Sarah Osbourne who had not been to church for 3 years (due to illness) and was in land disputes with the powerful Putnam family.

Once the accusations started to fly, a mass hysteria took over the community and people were being accused spuriously.  Some of the accused such as Tituba randomly threw out other names in order to save themselves, since confessing to witchcraft and identifying the person who bewitched you was seen as a road to salvation. Other accusers selected their targets in order to settle scores or usurp land. Those who maintained their innocence (with no way to prove it) were found guilty and sentenced to hang. During this period over 200 people were accused of witchcraft with 30 people found guilty and 19 were hanged.  Among those executed was farmer John Proctor, an outspoken man whose challenge of the veracity of witchcraft claims likely led to him and his wife Elizabeth being accused.  While both the Proctors were found guilty, Elizabeth was given a temporary stay because she was pregnant.  By the time she gave birth, the trials had ended, and she was spared.

The parallels between the Salem Witch Trials and the McCarthy Hearings are significant and proof of the adage “Those who don’t learn from history are doomed to repeat it”.  Shortly after the second World War, with Russia amassing power and developing nuclear weapons, the mass hysteria and fear gripping America was about Communism and the “Red Scare”.  Whether taking advantage of this sentiment for his own political gain, or truly believing that he was protecting his nation, Republican Senator Joseph McCarthy began his own version of the witch hunts in his search for subversive or treasonous people who had Communist leanings. 

In 1950, McCarthy claimed to hold a list of 205 names of employees in the State Department who were known Communists. By 1953, he was presiding over Senate committees that allowed him and his chief counsel Roy Cohn to hold closed-door hearings where alleged Communists or Communist sympathizers were questioned without the right to have an attorney present or to cross-examine their accusers.  McCarthy even tried to discredit his critics and political opponents by accusing them of having Communist allegiances.  Those found guilty of Communism were jailed, fired from their jobs, or had their employment prospects severely limited.

Even before McCarthy’s political run, the House of UnAmerican Activities (HUAC) employed “blacklists” which prevented members of the entertainment industry from being hired for work in Hollywood, often ruining their careers. To save themselves from being blacklisted, the accused were encouraged to name other Communists who they conspired with or who tried to enlist them.  Arthur Miller landed on the blacklist in late 1940s for refusing to cooperate and name others in Hollywood who engaged in Communist activities.

In addition to Communists, McCarthy’s group targeted homosexuals, reflecting “the fear of the other” or prejudice against those not conforming to social norms.  Although the actual crimes and punishments were different, the motivations behind and persecution tactics used by 1950s McCarthy Hearings are alarmingly similar to the 17th Century Salem Witch Trials—so much so that the Crucible was immediately recognized as a direct attack on McCarthyism and had a relatively short initial run on Broadway as a result. The term “McCarthyism” is now known as “the practice of making reckless and unsubstantiated accusations”.  But given the recent hysteria about the U.S. 2020 “Election Steal”, has anything really been learnt?

In his play The Crucible (meaning “severe test”), Arthur Miller referenced historical facts and actual people from the Salem Witch Trials but changed some salient facts for dramatic purposes.  He did ensure that each of his characters met the same fate as their real-life counterparts. Miller chose John and Elizabeth Proctor to be his protagonists, using the tragedy of their fate to personify the ordeals suffered by all who were persecuted. The age of Abigail Williams was increased from eleven to seventeen, as she was depicted as a servant of the Proctors, who had an affair with John and was fired after his wife became suspicious of the dalliance.  Out of spite and vengeance, Abigail accused Elizabeth of witchcraft in hopes of eliminating her rival and securing John for herself.  The play highlights the absurdity and capriciousness of the accusations, the helplessness of the accused who are considered guilty once the accusations were made, with no way to prove innocence, and the “holier than thou” attitudes of the judges who spout scripture to justify their verdicts.

The National Theatre’s version of the play stars Erin Doherty (Princess Anne in the TV series The Crown) in the critical role of Abigail and she gave an impressive performance.  Her duplicity was conveyed not only by her words and actions, but by the slouchy way that she carried her body, her shifty eyes and conniving expressions. It was clear right from the start that this woman-child would say or do anything to save herself and to cast dispersions on others.  Australian actor Brendan Cowell portrays John Proctor as a flawed (adulterous) but ultimately honorable character, while Irish actress Eileen Walsh exudes a quiet strength and dignity as the falsely accused Elizabeth, aka “Goody Proctor”.  The women in Miller’s play are often called by the title “Goody” which is a shortform for the   archaic term “Goodwife” and used for the lower class (as opposed to “Mistress” for the upper class).  Once again, I found the prefix “Goody” to be ironic when applied to women accused of being witches.

The set design for the play is dark and oppressive with a deluge of rain falling at the start and end of each act that adds to the tense atmosphere.  It felt like the stage was crying because of the tragedy that was happening upon it.  When the group of children, who form the core accusers of witches, are not centre stage simulating their fits, they stand or sit in the background like watching, vengeful spirits while eerie choral sounds can be heard.  I thought this play was enthralling and the double layer of meaning behind the historic tale and its modern-day counterpart to be fascinating.

The next filmed play from National Theatre Live will be based on Yann Martel’s novel Life of Pi, with large-scaled puppets representing the various beasts.