The Crucible

PLAY ON WORDS, a study guide, has been prepared by the production dramaturg and is available without charge at the concessions booth in the theatre lobby. FROM THE DRAMATURG The Crucible , written in 1953 by Arthur Miller, is, without a doubt, one of the most well-known, well-respected dramas of the last century. Set in 17th century Salem, Massachusetts, and rooted in a combination of folklore and real historical events, Miller told a story about the individual’s struggle with self and the individual’s struggle with society (over which one has no control). Written during the anti-Communist “Red Scare” of 1950s America, Miller was familiar with the hysteria-based oppression and witch-hunt mentality. Arthur Miller was born in 1915 to Jewish immigrants. Convinced after reading The Brothers Karamazov of his future as a writer, the intellectual youth went to the University of Michigan where he was granted several awards for scripts written while in attendance, including his first play, No Villain , in 1937. By the late ‘40s, he was an established and respected mind of the time. When Senator Joseph McCarthy declared that communism had infiltrated the government and the arts, Miller and longtime friend and colleague, film director Elia Kazan, took different positions in the political dispute regarding the anti-Communist hearings. It was this specific disagreement or betrayal that prompted Miller’s writing of a script which would very quickly receive critical acclaim. As a historical piece, The Crucible , has much to offer the current viewer. But its continued renown is not solely founded in its historical accuracy or structural excellence. The keystone of its monumental success is in the transcendency of its themes. Resisting oppression and tyranny, coupled with holding fast to the truth, are themes which will influence the soul of the global audience for years to come. cru·ci·ble 1. a vessel in which substances are heated to high temperatures 2. a severe test or trial 3. a place or situation in which concentrated forces interact to cause or influence change or development — Benjamin Isaac Scheerschmidt, Dramaturg