REVIEW: ‘The Crucible’ from Bedlam
Photo: Bedlam’s The Crucible continues through Dec. 29 at the Connelly Theater. Photo courtesy of Ashley Garrett / Provided by Polk & Co. with permission.
Bedlam theater company’s exquisite revival of Arthur Miller’s The Crucible is a master class in how to make an American classic relevant, invigorating and powerful. This is one of the best theatrical productions of the year.
The ensemble members that bring this two-act drama to life are strong and effective in how they interpret Miller’s prescient words. They don’t stray from the central narrative with abstract staging or directorial flourishes; instead, they present a pure and palpable production that proves the enduring nature of this oft-staged play.
The show, which continues through Dec. 29 at the Lower East Side’s Connelly Theater, follows the Salem witch trials of the late 17th century as they wreak havoc on a small community of Christians. Miller wrote the piece in the 1950s as a response to the communist hunting of Sen. Joseph McCarthy (these historical parallels have made the play required studying in American high schools).
Eric Tucker directs the Bedlam actors and also co-stars in the production, which is co-presented with The Nora theater company. It would seem that he relies on the collective energy of the ensemble to influence his decisions. Each move that this company makes throughout the three hours of drama seems like a collaborative step, with everyone connected and writhing together, working their way to a common theatrical goal.
The opening sequence of the play is staged in the very hall where theatergoers first enter, providing the production with a nice coup de théâtre to start things off. Interestingly, this opening exposition, in which the stage is set for the accusations to come, is played quickly, with the actors speeding through the script, yet as the dialogue flies, there are ensemble members who make hand gestures and movements that cleverly steal one’s gaze away from the main action.
Watch, for example, the skilled acting of Shirine Babb (Tituba) as she watches the proceedings around her spiral and spiral. Truett Felt is also quite believable as Abigail, adding in new layers to the popular character who sets much of the “satanic panic” in motion.
Ryan Quinn is persuasive and compelling as John Proctor, whose story becomes the main arc of the play. He is a homeowner of simple means, living in his farmhouse with his wife, Elizabeth Proctor (Susannah Millonzi, perhaps the best of the company). They love each other, but their relationship is soon tested by John’s infidelity with Abigail and Elizabeth being accused of dabbling in witchcraft.
Millonzi carries the hurt of what happens to her family in her crying eyes and stares of bewilderment as any sense of decency crumbles around her, all in the name of morality and goodness. Her character loses everything in life and is never given a chance to rebuild and heal. It’s a tricky part — arguably the best one in the play — and Millonzi provides the role with necessary inner-strength, quiet courage and an obvious dismay that detaches her from those who point their fingers.
Paul Lazar offers magisterial omnipotence in Act II as Danforth, the judge who will decide the fate of the accused, including both John and Elizabeth. He refuses to cut corners and will not rest easy until the Christian dogma of the day rules over everyone.
Tucker, who is artistic director of Bedlam, has much of the action spill out into the audience, and there truly is no division between spectator and sport in this Crucible, which seems entirely appropriate given the proceedings at hand. He utilizes chairs, tables, handheld lights and a ladder to wonderful effect, creating and collapsing settings with an actor’s turn of the body, the extinguishing of a lamp, the climb atop a chair.
There are many parallels one can find within this 17th-century story, written in the 1950s, as compared to how politics and society are playing out in 2019. Of course, the term witch-hunt is thrown around a lot in the so-called swamp of Washington, D.C., but audiences of this Crucible will see a profound difference between a bygone era of damaging, wrongful accusations and modern-day investigations that have turned up more than their fair share of evidence. This revival makes clear how a frenzied witch-hunt is constructed, on a religious and psychological level, and one cannot help but see the stark contrast to a righteous fight for justice and a congressional obligation to hold executive power in check. Bedlam may hold back on connecting the dots, but the audience likely will not (perhaps that’s the point).
Smartly, Tucker and the company perform the play in a respect-for-the-text manner, donning period costume and speaking with a diction to the voice that is reminiscent of the time period. They leave Miller’s words to prove their own worth, with no expiration date on their meaning or influence.
Bedlam’s The Crucible is a gripping production that offers unique theatrical insights into a play that has been performed for decades, at all levels of expertise, from high school to the professional world. This skilled company has successfully found more layers and more reasons to revisit this American classic, and the audience members are the beneficiaries of their exploratory methods.
By John Soltes / Publisher / John@HollywoodSoapbox.com
The Crucible, produced by Bedlam and The Nora, plays through Dec. 29 at the Connelly Theater in New York City. Written by Arthur Miller. Directed by Eric Tucker. Starring Tucker, John Terry, Shaun Taylor-Corbett, Zuzanna Szadkowski, Randolph Curtis Rand, Ryan Quinn, Arash Mokhtar, Susannah Millonzi, Paul Lazar, Caroline Grogan, Truett Felt, Rajesh Bose, Shirine Babb and Alan Altschuler. Running time: three hours. Click here for more information and tickets. Rating: 
