Arthur Miller's play is based on the Salem witch-trials of 1692, when the small community in Massachusetts is stirred into madness by superstition, paranoia and malice; 200 people, especially young girls, were accused of witchcraft based on mindless persecution, with several executions. As a chilling parable, it’s a powerful indictment of McCarthyism in the 1950s, when innocent men and women were destroyed by malicious rumours of communism.
“It is rare for people to be asked the question which puts them squarely in front of themselves”
― Arthur Miller, 'The Crucible'
The Sacramento Contemporary Dance Theatre, California was founded by the renowned choreographer Jacob Gutiérrez-Montoya who has brilliantly adapted this dramatic text into an hour of exhilarating movement with a bold soundtrack and soulful characterisation. As the company describe this production, ‘it will transport you into the heart of 'The Crucible', where the story of lust, vengeance, fear and pride meets haunting beauty.’
Yes, it does indeed with exquisite, artistic, imaginative vision.
The audience enters the theatre to find several of the seats occupied by the female cast members dressed in the black cloaks, skirts and red bonnets of the 17th century, motionless, heads downcast. As we sit down near them, it immediately draws us into the melancholic mood of this God-fearing town.
The cast then divest themselves of the demure dress throw themselves into an energetic dance sequence, now wearing only nude coloured underwear; the seven women jump, spin, somersault across the stage at speed with acrobatic agility and extraordinary precision, flexing ankles, toes and bare feet.
Carefully chosen songs, such as Seven Devils & Me and the Devil, cleverly relate the dark demonic story through the lyrics - ‘ Seven devils all around you, Seven devils in your house.’ … ‘Early this morning, when you knocked upon my door, And I said hello Satan, Me and the devil walkin' side by side.’
Without clearly identifying individual roles, the ensemble portray the main characters, Elizabeth and John Proctor, Abigail Williams. Reverend Hale, Reverend Parris, Mary Warren, all dressed in period costumes, prim Puritan black frocks with a hint of lace, the men in severe black suits.
A young girl, lifeless like a rag doll, as if in a trance is lifted high in the air, amidst a mood of growing tension and religious fervour. As the music continually shifts from rhythmic rock beat to soft orchestral chords, the choreography follows the tempo to create both fast flowing ensemble routines and graceful dramatic duets.
Wearing long floaty skirts, the girls whirl and twirl in a wild ritualistic dance to create the sense of mass hysteria and madness through the accusation of witchcraft and devil-worship. The minister clutches a large black bible which he presents to selected women, his grim facial expression and intimate gesture giving a shiver down the spine. Then an unexpected shriek, ‘Witch’ ‘Devil’ ‘Cursed’, followed by light flashes, a piercing scream and the haunting face of a girl collapsed in a state of shock. One couple bid each other a moving farewell as the woman awaits her inevitable fate of being hanged; the jealous man's lover still tries to destroy the relationship even in these circumstances.
The plaintive call of a solo cello strings and Sonia Kitchell's resonant voice echo around the stage during the final moments:
'There once was a man, Who thought life, Should only be gladness, Till he realized, That this was madness.
He cried for all he'd fought, And all he'd lost in conniving.'
Seven decades after Arthur Miller's original play was staged in 1953, this fresh, fierce, feisty interpretation performed through the pure distilled art of mime and dance with such intense theatricality and sensual emotion is simply breathtaking.
Observing such a majestic, world class production on the Fringe, Jacob Gutiérrez-Montoya’s Sacramento Dance Theatre should be invited to perform at the Edinburgh International Festival.
Showtimes:
12 – 17 August 2024 @ 23.25 + 19 – 24 August 2024 @ 12.45
Ticket prices: £12.00 (£11.00)
Age guidance : 14+
https://tickets.edfringe.com/whats-on/crucible